


Make Me Beautiful (I Am Beautiful)

by Lumeleo



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: F/M, Gender Dysphoria, Gender Identity, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Mild Sexual Content, MtF Sanada Genichirou, Trans Female Character, Transitioning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-22 15:55:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22718512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumeleo/pseuds/Lumeleo
Summary: Atobe is hardly the most obvious person for Sanada to ask for help with trying out more feminine attire, but he is happy to be of assistance. What starts as innocent though embarrassing curiosity grows into something much deeper and more significant, as does their relationship.No matter what happens, though, Atobe will find the prettiest dresses for her to wear.
Relationships: Atobe Keigo/Sanada Genichirou
Comments: 12
Kudos: 24





	Make Me Beautiful (I Am Beautiful)

“So.” Atobe smirked a bit as they started walking along the path through the park. Perhaps it was not the typical social outing, but at least it meant Sanada didn’t have to constantly meet his eyes. “Not that I’m opposed to a chat, but why would you reach out to me of all people?”

“A few things.” Sanada grunted. “For one thing, if this gets too awkward, I won’t have to face you every day like I would with my friends. For another, I like to think you are honorable enough that you will not turn this into gossip.”

“Don’t worry, if I want drama, I will create it myself. I have no reason to drag anyone unwilling into it.” Atobe glanced at him, only for a moment, before turning back to the path. “Though now I am very curious. If you are so concerned about your privacy, this must be something very special indeed.”

“It’s certainly unusual.” Sanada sighed. “Ah. I… can I trust in your silence? Even if what I have to say is rather… strange?”

“You have my word.” Atobe nodded. “Whatever it is you want to say, I will not tell anyone.”

“We’ll see about that.” Sanada drew a deep breath. This was probably a terrible idea, but he had to speak to someone, and Atobe was the most suitable candidate. “I… there is something I, ah, I would like to try. But it’s not truly something I can manage on my own.”

“Really, now.” Atobe’s lips twitched. “If this is your way of asking me out, I’ve got to say it’s more creative than most attempts so far.”

“Just let me finish, please.” Sanada shook his head, pushing through the frustration. “This isn’t a joke. I know it’s probably going to sound like one, but I am absolutely serious.” He waited a bit for some quip or comment, but none seemed to be happening. As such, he felt comfortable in continuing. Well, as comfortable as he was ever going to be. “I think I would like to try, ah. Feminine clothing.”

He expected some expression of disbelief, perhaps even disgust. As he watched Atobe from the corner of his eye, he did see some surprise, but Atobe schooled his expression into neutrality with admirable speed. “Well, I can see how that would be a problem. It would be difficult for someone of your frame to buy anything feminine in a store, and I’m assuming ordering things online would not work much better.”

“Indeed not.” Sanada sighed. “I love my family, but they can be rather curious. Not so much I think they would open my mail, but they would definitely ask questions, and there is no way I could explain myself.”

“As I thought, then.” Atobe nodded. “Are you thinking of anything special?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m fairly sure anything I could try would look ridiculous on my body.” He hesitated. “That’s… another reason I came to you, actually. If anyone can help me find something that might look feminine on someone like me, it’s you.”

“Well! I do appreciate the confidence in my skills.” Atobe hummed to himself in thought. “I can’t say that’s a challenge I’ve tackled before as such, but I do know a thing or two about fashion, and I’m always happy to learn more. We’ll make you pretty yet, don’t you worry about it.”

“Great.” Sanada felt a wave of relief rushing through him. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure you would be interested in helping me. I know it’s rather… strange.” To say the least.

“Strange? Maybe. However, I figure someone like you would not admit to such a wish if this wasn’t very important to you.” Atobe smirked. “Besides, I’m never going to turn down an excuse to do some shopping.”

“Ah. I did not mean —”

“Did not mean you wanted me to put money into this? I’m sure you didn’t, but I insist. It’s going to make things less complicated, especially since it means a less restricted budget. And no, you don’t need to feel like you owe me for anything. I’ve spent money on much less sensible things before."

“Some would say there’s nothing less sensible than a dress for a man.” And yet, he couldn’t help but feel a deep yearning for just that.

“And those people are idiots. Everyone has the right to feel pretty every once in a while.” Atobe nodded, looking very determined. “So, this is just something you’d like to try? No further plans, you’d just like to wear a dress and look nice in it?”

“More or less, yes.” As impossible as it seemed. “I just… I keep looking at women, but not the way I’m supposed to. I keep thinking I would like to look like them, rather than date them.”

“We have a goal, then. Make you look like a pretty girl.” Atobe snapped his fingers. “Very well, then. I’m going to need your measurements and any factors like favorite colors. After that, I’ll let you know when I have something for you. I’m assuming you’d prefer to try them on at my place, for better privacy?”

“You really are going to help me?” For some reason, he still felt somewhat surprised. “Just like that?”

“Sanada.” Atobe stepped forward and turned to face him, forcing Sanada to come to a halt. The blue eyes were very serious. “You came to me with a wish that could be used against you in some rather terrible ways. You trusted me to keep the secret, and perhaps even help you. The least I can do is do my best.”

“Even so. I cannot ever repay you for your help.”

“You might think so, but you would be wrong.” Atobe chuckled. “Believe me, I am going to very much enjoy making you look pretty. And trust me, I’m not going to give up until you agree I have succeeded.”

Something that sounded so much like a threat should not have made him feel so very excited.

*

“You know, when you said you had something for me to try, I thought you meant a dress or two.” Sanada stared at the clothing rack packed full of outfits.

“What, and risk not having anything that suits you? Perish the thought.” Atobe smirked. “I told you, this is all new for me, too. Despite my research, I don’t know exactly what will work with your body type, so I wanted a variety of styles for you to try.” He ran a hand along the clothes. “I’ve got mostly dresses, and layered things you might want to try combining. I know you said you liked black and grey, and a little black dress is definitely a classic, but I also picked some things with more color. Girls tend to have more colorful outfits, you know.”

“Ah. Right.” He felt his cheeks heating up a little, but tried not to think on it too much. “Even so, I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“Which is why we’re going to start with a quick run-through.” Atobe smirked, rolling out another rack. At least this one was empty. “I’m going to show you everything one by one, and you’re going to tell me if it’s pretty or not. There’s no point in trying on something if you don’t like the look of it in the first place.”

Atobe might have said quick, but it took what felt like an unreasonable amount of time just to go through the clothes. At last, though, they had everything divided onto the two racks.

“Well! We’ve made a lot of progress, and I feel like I have a much better idea of your taste.” Atobe smiled. “Now, I should probably get someone to take you home soon, but it would be a waste not to get any actual dresses on you. How about I get someone to bring us tea out on the balcony, you pick your favorite outfit to try on, and we have a debriefing of sorts?”

“Ah. I… suppose that would be acceptable.” He didn’t really like the idea of anyone else seeing him in such a way, but he supposed Atobe would have already accounted for that. “Besides, I have a feeling it would be useless to protest.”

“Very smart of you.” Atobe smirked. “My mother may be currently in France, but she would find a way to materialize herself here if she knew I was even considering letting a guest go without offering refreshments.”

“I would not want to get you in trouble with your parents.” Sanada shook his head. “If you take after them at all, they must be frightful when in the mood.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, because my parents are brilliant.” Atobe smirked, waving his hand toward the rack with the more pleasant clothes. “Now, pick something. As pretty as the clothes are, I didn’t get them just to be ornaments.”

Sanada followed directions, looking through the dresses before settling on one he especially liked. He was vaguely aware that Atobe headed out of the room, no doubt to find a servant of some sort, but he wasn’t paying much attention. Picking up the dress and walking behind the dressing screen Atobe had set up was taking up all his mental energy as it was.

It took much longer than it should have to get the dress on. Not because it wasn’t the right size; Atobe must have used some magic to get a dress that fit him so well just from a few measurements. However, as he stripped down to his underwear and slipped on the dress, all of a sudden he froze.

Looking in the mirror, Sanada swallowed. He hadn’t zipped up the dress all the way yet, but he could already see it was his size. The chest area was looking rather flat, as he had expected, but the flare of the skirt actually gave an illusion of a curve to his hips that he knew was not there. The dress was mostly a sensible black, with pleats on the skirt offering glimpses of a vibrant gold.

He had never felt quite so beautiful.

Sanada wasn’t sure how long he had spent staring at his reflection when Atobe’s voice came over the dressing screen. “Are you quite decent yet?”

“Hn. As much as a man in a dress can be, I suppose.” Reaching back over his shoulder, he managed to get the zipper all the way up.

“Why would that come into it at all? It’s your dress. I bought it for you.” Atobe peeked around the screen. “If you are ready, there’s tea and cake.”

For all that Atobe had been nothing but helpful, a part of Sanada still expected mockery as he walked out. However, all he received was an approving nod.

“Give me a twirl, won’t you?” As Sanada spun around after a moment’s hesitation, Atobe smiled. “Oh, that skirt looks wonderful on you.”

“I feel ridiculous.” Beautiful, but ridiculous.

“Nonsense. Come on, let’s get your pretty dress some air.” Atobe turned with a flourish to show the way to the balcony. “It would be a crime to hide it from the light of day, even if it never goes further than the balcony.”

“Right. You are even more ridiculous than me, so I suppose this is fine.” Though he didn’t realize just how ridiculous Atobe truly was until he actually got out to the large balcony — why exactly did Atobe have a balcony the size of Sanada’s bedroom attached to his personal room? — only to find a set of elegant garden furniture, with a tray of tea and several small cakes.

“Well, then.” Atobe pulled out a chair for Sanada, because he could apparently not be serious for a moment. He then walked around the table to take his own seat, reaching to pour tea for them both. “I suppose I will start, since clearly you have more to process here. I had a lot of fun today. Before you ask how that’s possible, well, I like shopping, I like fashion, and I like helping people. This experience combined all three, and I’ve been rewarded with a beautiful sight.” Atobe smirked at Sanada’s glare. “What? That’s a very beautiful dress, and it fits you like a glove. Of course the combination is going to be nice to look at.”

“I’m clearly too tall and muscular for this sort of thing.” And yet, he couldn’t help but enjoy the feeling of the light fabric against his skin, the way the pleats of the skirt fell around his lap. “…You did a good job at matching my size, though.”

“Of course. I’m excellent like that.” Atobe chuckled. “Do try the cakes. Our pastry chef is brilliant at her job.”

“I’m not even surprised that you would have someone employed just for baking.” Even so, he did cut himself a small slice of each of the offered cakes. It wasn’t something he usually did, but it did seem like something a person with this dress would do. Besides, it would probably go well with the tea.

“I like desserts. It only makes sense to have them available.” Atobe served himself a few slices of cake as well, starting to eat with small but determined bites. “So. Do you have any preliminary feelings? It’s fine if you don’t. I’d suppose this would be rather overwhelming.”

“Hn.” Sanada paused, taking a bite of a rich chocolate cake. It practically melted on his tongue, just bitter enough to make the sweetness palatable. “It was… not terrible.” It took some work, but he finally managed to admit, “I… think I look pretty. In this.”

“Excellent.” Atobe smiled, an actual warm smile rather than his usual smirks. “Then, the exercise has been a success.”

“I suppose so.” Sanada nodded. “Though really, just trying it on was what I was actually wishing for. The end result is unimportant.”

“Nonsense. An outfit should always be functional, fashionable, or both. What’s the point in wearing something that doesn’t either perform a function or make you feel good?” Atobe shook his head. “I would not have called this a success if I hadn’t managed to find something you like wearing, even if it’s only for a little while.”

“…In that case, I suppose you succeeded.” Sanada hesitated. “Even if there were a lot of clothes that did not fill that role.”

“Oh, they’re not going to waste. I’m going to donate anything in the rejected rack, so they can go to someone who will actually get some use out of them. And as for the rest…” Atobe’s lips twitched, mischief entering his eyes. “Well. It would be a pity if you couldn’t try something new next time.”

“From that, I assume you wouldn’t be opposed to, ah. Helping me again.” Which still amazed him, to be honest, but he saw no reason to doubt Atobe’s word.

“Of course. As I said, I had fun today. You aren’t too bad company, either.” Right. Now Atobe was definitely teasing, but it was a rather well-meaning tease. “Your clothes will be safe here until next time. And until then…” He pushed something across the table. “A little gift, of sorts.”

Sanada frowned, picking up the small container. There was a simple name written on the cover in a cursive script. “Lip balm?”

“And good quality, at that. I use the same brand myself.” Atobe’s eyes twinkled, hinting before he even spoke that there was more to the matter. “There’s a little secret to it, though.”

“A secret?” Sanada turned the container in his hand until he spotted the tiny text. “It’s tinted?”

“Only slightly. People will not be able to tell at all.” Atobe grinned. “Case in point, you haven’t noticed that the one I’m wearing is tinted as well.”

“Really?” Sanada blinked, turning his gaze to Atobe. Even having heard that, he could not really tell. Of course, he then realized he was practically staring at Atobe’s mouth, and turned his eyes away. His cheeks felt heated.

“I thought it might be good to have when you feel like wearing something feminine but can’t really do it at the moment.” Atobe smiled. “Of course, you don’t have to wear it. However, I wanted you to at least have the option.”

“…Thank you.” He’d have to try it out in private at first, to make sure it was truly that unnoticeable, but the idea did sound pleasant. “I’ll… keep it in mind.”

“Please do.” Atobe nodded. “I hope it will tide you over until the next time we can schedule a meeting.”

As much as he didn’t want to rely on something like that, Sanada couldn’t help but feel almost hopeful at the idea.

*

“I have to say,” Sanada said as he walked into Atobe’s room, “I half expected you to have procured even more clothes.”

“I’ll admit I thought of it,” Atobe chuckled, not showing any sign of shame. “However, I decided against it. Sorting through everything would take a while, and I’d like you to actually have the time to try on a number of the outfits.”

“I have to agree.” Sanada nodded, trying to hide his hesitation. There was no reason to hesitate. Atobe had already shown he wasn’t going to mock Sanada for such deviant desires, and nobody else was there to see. Even so, he found it somewhat difficult to even approach the rack of clothes waiting for him. Atobe either didn’t notice or pretended not to notice his hesitation, already looking through the clothes. He seemed to be pulling aside a few dresses that resembled the one Sanada had worn last time. “So, I was thinking.”

“About what?” Sanada swallowed, finally getting close enough to touch one some of the dresses. The soft fabrics felt nice in his hands.

“If you want, I could take pictures for you to look at later.” Sanada froze, which Atobe clearly noticed. “On your own phone, mind, so you have full control over them. I wouldn’t ask you to trust me with such sensitive evidence.”

“Ah.” Sanada gathered himself, trying to find the words to respond. “I… I’m not sure. My nephew likes to steal my phone sometimes.”

“I can show you how to secure the photos. Only if you want to, of course. I just thought you might want a more concrete memory.”

“Maybe.” He had to admit it was tempting. There had been a few times since his last visit where he had caught himself doubting whether any of this was even real. The lip balm had served as evidence enough, but something more direct might not hurt. “…If you think it can really be secure.”

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out.” Atobe sounded utterly confident, and somehow, that did help. “Now, shall we get started?”

Sanada managed to pick a few of his favorite dresses, hiding away to get himself into one of them. It was no less surreal than the first time to see himself in the mirror, the soft grey dress with black dots along the hem looking delicate even when covering his large frame. At last he managed to gather his courage, stepping out from behind the partition.

Atobe was not actually waiting for him this time, digging through a drawer of his desk on the other side of the room. This left them with enough distance that Sanada had to take a few steps before clearing his throat.

Atobe’s head snapped around, his mouth opening in a silent gasp. “Oh, that one looks lovely on you,” he announced, standing up with a grin. “Well, it could be more colorful, but the cut of the sleeves softens your shoulders nicely, and your legs look great with that hemline.”

“You mean, they look thick and hairy.” And certainly not fitting of such a skirt.

“Muscular, which is very different. Athletes have muscles regardless of gender.” Atobe clicked his tongue. “The hair is a bit more of an issue, since I guess you’d rather not shave them and then have to explain it to anyone. I’ll have to look into finding some cute socks that could work for you.”

“Ah. That… might work.” It did mean owing Atobe for even more, but clearly it didn’t bother Atobe himself. “Were you looking for something?”

“Oh, yes! I figured your phone might be fitting an old man such as yourself, which doesn’t mean it can’t be secure, but does make it more difficult. So, I remembered I had a phone I don’t use anymore.” He held out a phone that looked brand new. “It’s got an excellent camera, and we can set it up with a fingerprint lock. That should keep any nosy friends or relatives out.”

“I couldn’t take it.” Couldn’t accept such a gift.

“As I said, I don’t use it anymore. If you don’t take it, it’s just going to sit in my drawer gathering dust. It’s not a loss for me either way.” Atobe grinned. “Come on. You can even complain about me shoving my useless thrash at you because it’s less trouble than finding some other way of getting rid of it.”

“I probably wouldn’t even know how to use it.” Not if it was up to Atobe’s standards of modern tech.

“It’s actually fairly intuitive, and we can go through it together.” Atobe shook his head. “But that can wait. For now, let’s focus on finding the right dress for today’s tea party, ahn?”

That would have sounded mocking, even condescending, but Atobe actually looked sincere. And, well. Sanada did want to try on more dresses. “…Right. Let’s do that.”

At Atobe’s prompting, Sanada found himself putting on something of a fashion show, trying on dress after dress to show them to Atobe. He still felt rather self-conscious, but it faded with each dress, until it was merely a quiet little voice niggling at the back of his mind. Quiet enough, in fact, that it was more or less drowned out by Atobe’s enthusiastic comments on every outfit in turn.

At last Atobe told him to put on his favorite of the dresses while he ordered their tea and cakes. Apparently this was becoming a ritual of sorts, but Sanada found he rather liked it. It took him a moment to pick which dress he liked the best, until he finally settled on a dress in a deep blue that was nearly black. The pale blue waistband gave an illusion of a waist, adding some shape to his otherwise rather straight-lined form.

“Ah, an excellent choice.” Atobe grinned as he finally emerged, sliding his eyes along Sanada’s body with an appreciative air. Somehow, Sanada found himself fighting down a blush. “I’ll get you to like color yet.”

“I don’t mind color. It just doesn’t suit me.” Sanada shook his head. “…I did like the one with yellow bits from last time, though.”

“You would, you overgrown bee.” Atobe snorted. “So. Would you like me to show you how to use this phone, or just transfer them to your current one and set that up as securely as possible?”

“Hn.” Sanada paused for a moment. “I… if you’re sure it’s okay to just give it to me.”

“If it helps, I often give away my old phones to my teammates. I like to try new things, and giving them away is the least troublesome option.” Atobe grinned. “Now, let’s get started on the tea and cakes while we go through the basic functions, shall we?”

The cakes were as delicious as ever, and by the time Atobe was done, Sanada was fairly sure he could use the new phone without breaking anything. Atobe helped him move all his old files and settings over, replace the old user details with his own, and set up the fingerprint lock and a back-up PIN. At last, Sanada opened the picture folder all on his own, browsing the pictures Atobe had been taking.

Dresses. Beautiful dresses, being worn by him of all people, and somehow it didn’t look like a joke. Sanada swallowed.

“I have no idea how you make this look… tolerable.”

“It’s not up to me. They are just quality clothes that suit your body type.” Atobe clicked his tongue. “Now that you have the pictures, you can take your time in deciding which elements you like, especially on you. It will help me refine my selection.”

“You mean, you get to buy more things.” At this point, he wasn’t even going to try to protest.

“Of course.” Atobe grinned. “Speaking of which.”

Sanada was pretty sure he knew that look by now. “What, the phone isn’t enough of a gift for one visit?”

“The phone was an impromptu thing, and a practical matter besides. Clearly it doesn’t count.” Atobe lifted a small box on the table. “This is the actual gift.”

As much as he wanted to simply refuse, Sanada found himself opening the box instead. Looking inside, he blinked. He found himself staring at a number of necklaces and bracelets, mostly leather and plain metal, all rather subtle and understated. “These are…”

“I did my best to pick the sort of jewelry that will not look out of place on a man. You should be able to wear these without being questioned. Well, aside from the inevitable comments that you’ve never bothered to accessorize before, I suppose.” Atobe reached out to pick up one of the bracelets, a simple loop of leather strips in different shades of grey with a few metallic beads holding them together. “However, what nobody else has to know is that these were all purchased from the women’s department. Which may be an unimportant distinction as it doesn’t make them look any less appropriate for you to wear in public, but again, it’s the thought that counts.”

“Right. That’s — that sounds like an excellent idea.” Sanada swallowed. “…Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” Atobe smiled, a sincere, warm smile with no sign of his usual smugness. “More tea?”

Somehow, the tea tasted even sweeter now.

*

Sanada felt like he was breaking some kind of a rule as he closed the clasp of the bracelet around his wrist, even though he knew that wasn’t the case.

Even if his subdued piece of jewelry had somehow been against the school dress code, he doubted it would have gotten him into trouble, considering he had been getting away with wearing his cap all this time. Moreover, this wasn’t the first time he was wearing an accessory, though it still wasn’t a daily habit. He had been trying to get himself into the habit after Atobe’s gift, and it was getting easier every time. Still, easier was not the same thing as easy, and therefore Sanada found himself again pausing with his other hand still on the clasp, debating whether he should take the bracelet off after all.

“Oh, is that bracelet new?” Seiichi was suddenly next to him, smiling a little. “It matches the necklace you were wearing last week, doesn’t it?”

“Hn. I suppose.” Sanada tugged at his bracelet a bit, leaving it partly covered by his sleeve. Not hidden, not quite, but not drawing any extra attention either. “I thought wearing both at once would be a bit… much.”

“Only you would think two very simple accessories would be too much to wear at once. Though then, I suppose it would be a lot for you.” Seiichi’s smile took on a downright mischievous tone. “So. When are you going to introduce us?”

Sanada blinked. “What do you mean, introduce you?”

“To whoever it is that has inspired you to pay more attention to your appearance, of course.” Seiichi tilted his head to the side. “Don’t take me wrong, it’s not a bad change. However, you have never been the type to care about appearances beyond being reasonably clean and presentable. As such, it seems like there might be an outside reason.”

“Hn.” Sanada frowned, trying not to flush too badly. “Or perhaps I have just decided to pay more attention to myself.” Surely that wasn’t such an impossible idea?

“Perhaps. However, that still doesn’t explain all the changes.” Seiichi chuckled. “For example, you have been staring at your phone with an unusually cheery expression from time to time, only to hide it right away if someone gets near. Not that I’m accusing you of lying, of course, but it does make one wonder.”

“It’s nothing like that.” Sanada glanced around, making sure they were the last ones around. “Look. It’s, ah, embarrassing. However, it’s not about dating or anything like that.”

“Oh, really?” Seiichi looked very interested, now. “Well, you know you can trust me, right? It’s fine if you’d rather not share, but I’m rather curious as to what’s made you change so.”

“Hn. Promise you won’t start jumping to conclusions?” Seiichi’s expression was a bit too eager as he nodded, but he didn’t seem to be lying. “I, ah. I’ve been having occasional tea meetings with Atobe.”

“Oh?” Seiichi’s eyes widened. “As in, Atobe of Hyoutei?”

“Do you know many other Atobes?” Sanada scowled, then sighed and shook his head. “It’s… a bit strange, I guess. Basically, I’ve been visiting him every other week or so. Just talking over tea and cake. Well, mostly it’s Atobe talking, given how he is. It gives me a way to socialize outside my usual circle, while he gets a new victim to try and dazzle.”

“How did that even get started? I never thought you were lacking in social interaction.”

“Hn.” Sanada felt a blush crawling on his cheeks again. “It’s… I decided I should try to pay more attention to my appearance, and figured he was a good person to ask. I thought he’d get bored right away, but apparently this is something that interests him. It’s just a small part of what we talk about, now, but he still insists on giving me accessories as gifts to try out.” It wasn’t even a lie, for all that he had no intention of revealing the whole truth, not even to Seiichi.

“So that explains the jewelry, then.” Seiichi smiled as though he had just unearthed some miraculous truth. “And your phone?”

“He sends me messages sometimes.” Again, not a lie, though what really had him smiling were the pictures hidden on his phone. “And before you even ask why I would be hiding that, how do you think people would react if they found out I’m in casual contact with Atobe of all people?”

“That’s entirely fair.” Seiichi smiled and nodded. “Well, that does explain a lot. Though I have to admit, I’m a bit disappointed.”

“Disappointed? Why?” Sanada frowned.

“Oh, don’t look like that! Of course I’m not unhappy that you are trying new things and making new friends, especially since it’s clearly making you happier. However, I have to admit I was kind of hoping you might have found someone special. Only because I’m your friend and want you to be as happy as possible, though.”

“Hn.” Sanada snorted. “I’d rather focus on finding out who I am before I even think about getting into a relationship.”

“How very mature of you.” Seiichi patted his shoulder. “Well, rest assured that your secret is safe with me. I would say I’m not even going to tell Renji, but he probably already knows.”

“He probably knows more than I do.” Which was a rather terrifying prospect, but he was going to ignore it for now. “If I do start dating, trust me, you’ll be the first person I tell.”

"I will hold you to that.” Seiichi nodded. “In the meantime, I’m just glad to see you smiling more.”

Sanada would have protested, perhaps claimed he had been smiling just fine, but he couldn’t deny that he had been much happier recently.

*

“Is the selection not to your liking?”

Sanada blinked, turning to look at Atobe. Atobe was looking at him with raised eyebrows, clearly expecting an answer. “Ah… what?”

“You’ve been staring at the same blouse for a while now. You don’t usually need that much time to make up your mind on whether you like something or not.” Atobe stepped forward, looking rather serious. That was unusual for him. “So, either I did a terrible job at picking out things this time or there’s something else on your mind.”

“There’s nothing wrong with the clothes. I’m not entirely sure how they will look on me, but they look… nice.” Atobe had decided to branch out from dresses, getting him a variety of girly tops and bottoms for a change. "Even though the question of combining things means it’s going to be even harder to pick something.”

“So what’s the problem?” Atobe frowned. “And don’t even try to tell me it’s nothing. I know your regular frowns by now, and this is something else.”

“It’s… I’m not sure.” Sanada sighed. “I’m not good at, well, talking.”

“Oh, I don’t know. You’ve been opening up a lot over our tea chats lately.” Atobe seemed to think about something for a moment, then snapped his fingers. “Right. Get something on. If you can’t decide from the new things, pick one of your favorite dresses from before. I’ve got something I want to try once you’re dressed up.”

Sanada doubted this meant the conversation was over, but he was quite happy for the reprieve. Atobe walked off to get something, leaving him alone with the selection of clothes. After a moment of hesitating, Sanada picked a light blouse and an airy skirt. He doubted he could really fill a pair of girl pants in a way that would look nice.

By the time he emerged in his new outfit, nervously smoothing out the skirt, Atobe had set up a variety of things on a table. Looking up at Sanada’s approach, Atobe smiled, gesturing towards the chair in front of him. “Ah, nice choice. Now, take a seat.”

“Is that makeup?” Sanada wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He’d tried lip gloss before, but that was more or less the extent of his exploration in this area.

“Yes. Don’t worry, I only picked fairly subtle things, and made sure it’s all easily removable.” Atobe titled his head to the side. “Of course we don’t have to try it if you don’t want to, but I figured you could use a distraction.”

“No, it’s — it’s fine.” Sanada had already made his way to the seat when something occurred to him. “Wait. Do you even know how to do makeup?”

Atobe’s lips twitched. “I’ve tried it a couple of times on myself, just to see how everything works. Don’t worry, though. I’ve watched a lot of tutorials online.”

“Well, I suppose you’re the one who gets to suffer if I end up looking awful.” Sanada settled into the chair. “Just don’t poke my eye out.”

“I will do my best to avoid that.” Atobe smirked, sorting through the various products before picking one. “Now, let’s make you even prettier.”

Once he got used to the sensation, Sanada found it was almost relaxing to just sit there as Atobe very carefully applied the makeup. Atobe kept chattering about the latest gossip at Hyoutei, no doubt hoping to further distract him. It worked quite well, too, as Sanada was startled when Atobe finally paused.

“So. Feel like you could talk about it yet?”

“I don’t suppose I could just say I don’t want to make things harder for you?”

“I’m almost done anyway. You’re not going to get away so easily.“ Atobe’s smirk softened a little. “I figured that since I’ve gotten you to talk over tea before, getting you dressed up might help you find words for whatever is bothering you.”

“You’re assuming that I even know what it is I might like to say.” Sanada sighed. “Ah. If you’re done, could I have a look?”

“Oh, sure. Just don’t think I’m going to forget that easily.” Atobe produced a hand mirror from somewhere, handing it over to him. Sanada accepted it somewhat tentatively. With a deep breath, he took a look at his reflection.

He looked… nice. Pretty, even. He hadn’t thought that would be even possible with his features, yet apparently Atobe’s online tutorials and no doubt terribly expensive cosmetics had worked their magic. He almost looked like an actual girl, albeit one with a rather boyish haircut.

An actual girl. Except he couldn’t be one, and somehow, that felt like the most awful thing.

“Sanada?” Atobe sounded alarmed, and Sanada realized with a start that his eyes were starting to glaze over with tears. “What’s wrong?”

Sanada shook his head, unable to speak. Atobe seemed to realize that, offering him a tissue in exchange for the mirror. It took him a moment to gather himself, but Sanada somehow managed to pat away the tears without ruining the makeup too badly.

“I…” Sanada swallowed. He wasn’t sure if he should actually talk about this, but really, Atobe had kept his embarrassing secrets so far. “I think… I don’t just want to dress like a girl.”

“But you’d rather like to be one, huh.”

Sanada paused. Something about Atobe’s tone, the way he was looking at Sanada with those blue eyes, was not what he had expected. “…You are not surprised.”

“I have been granted a rather unique insight to the whole process.” Atobe’s voice was calm, free of any mockery or judgment. “I’m also around teenage boys enough to know all the most obvious signs. Not once in all our experiments have I seen you dress up for thrill or arousal; it was always with a mixture of fear and joy.”

“I… suppose that would be true.” Sanada sighed. “I just… I’m not sure what to do about any of this.”

“May I offer a suggestion?” Atobe was quiet for a moment, waiting for a protest. There was none, words getting stuck in Sanada’s throat. “So. Up until now, we have been experimenting with clothing and accessories. We could move on to words and names. If it doesn’t feel right, you only need to tell me. And if it does, well, it might help you figure out things a bit further.”

“Would that really be all right?” Why did he sound so desperately hopeful even to his own ears?

“Why, Sanada-chan, do you doubt my word?” Atobe grinned, offering Sanada a hand up from his seat. “Now, I do believe some tea and sweet things are very much in order. I have to work hard to make up for making a pretty girl cry like this.”

It should have been ridiculous. If anything, Sanada should have felt like he was being mocked. Instead, he found himself smiling.

Perhaps it was about time for Sanada to give herself a chance to smile, too.

*

“Right. Today, we’re going to do something different.” Atobe had a sort of mad grin on his face, which probably should have alarmed Sanada. Then again, the very fact that Atobe greeted him at the front door rather than in his room was probably enough to warn him that something was afoot, and yet he hadn’t run away. Not yet, anyway.

“What do you mean by that?” Sanada frowned.

“Today, my friend, I’m taking you shopping.” Atobe breezed right past him, only pausing to hook an arm through Sanada’s. He found himself turned around at once, all but dragged down the stairs back to the driveway.

“What?” That sounded enticing for all of a second before Sanada’s better judgment caught up with him. “Shopping for what?” He could only think of one kind of shopping Atobe might have wanted to involve him in, and Sanada had no intention of doing that in public.

“Tennis things, so don’t look so alarmed.” Atobe grinned. “I thought instead of our usual fashion show before it’s time for tea, we could have a quick match.”

“So why didn’t you just tell me to bring my gear?” He was more and more convinced that this was, in fact, some sinister scheme.

“Because that wouldn’t be any fun.” There was a car waiting for them, a driver opening the door for them as they approached. “Also, because I doubt you actually have any cute tennis outfits.”

“Cute?” Now he was definitely alarmed, yet he didn’t stop Atobe from pulling him into the car. “You had better not mean what I think you mean.”

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of making you shop for cute skirts in public.” Atobe gave him another nearly manic grin. “I’ve reserved an Atobe Sports store for the afternoon. It’s just going to be us and some members of the staff.”

“I should probably not even try to protest.”

“Not unless you want an argument. It’s going to happen either way.” Atobe chuckled. “If it helps, I’ve done it before just to have the chance to shop in peace."

“Of course you have.” Sanada sighed. “And it would be equally useless to say you shouldn’t buy me tennis equipment when I have perfectly passable things at home, I’m guessing.”

“I’m fairly sure you also have clothes at home, and I have no problem with buying you more. So in short, very useless.”

Knowing a futile argument when he saw one, Sanada leaned back in the rather comfortable seat. “In that case, I hope they have very cute outfits to make this worth all the trouble.”

“I assure you Atobe Sports has an excellent selection.” Atobe grinned. “I even called ahead to make sure this particular location has women’s apparel in larger sizes. After all, it would be such a pity to find something pretty that won’t fit you.”

“How thoughtful of you.” Sanada pushed hair out of his eyes. He wasn’t as much growing his hair out as he was putting off having it cut, but the end result was the same. “If you actually want to play, I’ll have to get something to keep my hair out of my eyes. As useful as my cap is, it’s not exactly cute.”

“I’m sure we can find something.” Atobe smiled, looking delighted at the thought. “I’ll have to remember to get some hair accessories for you next time.”

This inspired Atobe to launch into a lengthy monologue about what he was planning for Sanada’s next visit, as though they hadn’t still been barely at the starting point of this one. Sanada listened to him without much input, looking out of the car window. He trusted Atobe wouldn’t have picked a location where they might get spotted, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still a bit apprehensive.

Despite Atobe’s assurances that everything would be fine, Sanada still felt somewhat awkward as they came up to the Atobe Sports store. A sign at the door indicated that the place was closed, but someone approached the doors from the other side as they got close. A moment later they were being let in by a very polite store manager who had clearly met Atobe in person before. Good. At least that meant they were used to his eccentricities.

Any hope that he might get swept aside in the drama that always surrounded Atobe faded the next moment as the manager turned to look at Sanada with rather sharp eyes. “And this would be your friend, then?”

“That’s correct.” Atobe smiled, though Sanada could hear a hidden edge to his voice. Not directed at Sanada, hopefully. “Sanada Yukari-chan. I trust that she will receive nothing but the best service, ahn?”

The name rolled off Atobe’s tongue with such ease that Sanada couldn’t help but wonder if he had been practising it, considering Sanada had only settled on it during his last visit. It felt… good, in a strange way, hearing Atobe call him that. Call her that, rather. Clearly she was here as a girl, albeit a rather tall and stocky one.

To their credit, neither the manager nor any of the staff that popped out to assist them showed any sign of being anything but perfectly professional. They seemed to have no problem with bringing out pretty dresses and skirts for Sanada to try out, and even took the initiative of bringing out sneakers in more feminine colors to complete the outfit. Atobe was clearly having the time of his life, acting as Sanada’s personal cheering squad as she modeled the endless variety of clothes.

Sanada was half convinced they would spend the entire day in the store, yet finally they headed back to the Atobe estate. Besides a rather nice dress and small shorts to go underneath, Sanada had ended up with sneakers that were surprisingly delicate for something in her shoe size. That, and not one but two new rackets, because Atobe could never do anything by halves.

By the time they’d had their match and moved on to their customary tea and cakes, Sanada was mentally and physically exhausted but satisfied. Not only had she gotten to play a match against an excellent opponent in a dress, but Atobe had then surprised her with a new sundress to change into for tea. It was a soft yellow with a flowing skirt and somehow made Sanada feel, well, cute despite her frame.

“So. I suppose I owe you some honesty.” As Sanada glanced up from her cake, Atobe gave her a lop-sided smile. “The truth is, there was another side to today’s excursion. Don’t take me wrong, the tennis was great, but I also rather wanted to see how you would react to dressing up in front of other people.”

Sanada snorted. Perhaps it wasn’t too ladylike, but she was too tired to worry about such thing right now. “Why am I not surprised you would have schemes inside schemes?”

“Now, really, you make me sound like some sort of evil mastermind.” Atobe smirked, picking a strawberry from his slice of cake and popping it in his mouth almost absently. “I… need a favor.”

“Oh?” Sanada lifted her eyebrows. “And would that favor involve me dressing up in public?”

“Not necessarily.” Which wasn’t a no, but she supposed she could at least let Atobe make his case. “One of my grandmother’s friends asked for help with funding their local festival. Of course, my grandmother was happy to help. However, the friend wanted to invite someone from the family to the festival, and through a series of prior obligations, that invitation got passed down to me.”

“I wouldn’t think you need help with socializing.” Sanada frowned. “Particularly if it’s about representing your family.”

“Oh, it’s nothing that official, the friend just wants to show my grandmother that the funds have been used well. I was assured I could just show up like any ordinary festival-goer.” Atobe made a face. “The problem being, I have no idea what that would entail.”

Sanada blinked, about to question that, before the realization dawned. “Because you grew up overseas.”

“Exactly. I have a vague idea of Japanese festivals, but that’s mostly from media or getting dragged around my by teammates, and I doubt either of those is the most typical experience. So, I thought it would be useful to have someone else come along.”

“And that would be me.” Sanada hesitated. “I’m… not sure.”

“It doesn’t have to be as Yukari, if you’re not comfortable with that.” Atobe shook his head. “Now, I’d rather like to get you a pretty yukata either way since I’m having one made for myself, but there’s no obligation for you to wear that in front of people. If you’d rather just be grumpy old Sanada shaking his head at my ignorance, that would be fine, too.”

“Hn.” She had to admit, the idea of a girly yukata that fit her was rather appealing, though she suspected Atobe’s idea of casual festival garb would still be somewhat over the top. “I’ll think about it.”

“Thank you.” Atobe gave her a genuine smile, and Sanada almost assured him right away that things would be just fine. Atobe’s true smiles did strange things to her. “As I said, I would appreciate your company either way, whether it’s as Genichirou or Yukari.”

“I hope you realize that if you go with a girl to a festival, people will assume it’s a date.” Not that she thought most people would think of her as a girl if they saw her, but the principle was still true.

“They could think that of me going with a boy, too.” Atobe gave her a strange gaze that she wasn’t sure she could interpret. “I happen to be quite fine with either scenario.”

Sanada had no idea how to respond to that.

*

“I feel ridiculous.”

“Well, if it helps, you don’t look ridiculous at all.” Atobe smiled, offering Sanada a hand as though she couldn’t get out of the car on her own. “You are a very lovely sight, Sanada-chan.”

“I’m an awkward giant who isn’t fooling anyone.” Though at least her new yukata was very pretty.

“Of course you’re not fooling anyone. That would imply there is some deception going on.” Atobe clicked his tongue. “You are not a giant, you’re statuesque. One day I’ll introduce you to Kabaji’s mother. She’s a gorgeous lady and will make you feel downright petite.”

“Hn. I suppose that would make sense, given how tall Kabaji is.” Sanada looked around. She had been sure everyone would be staring, but on closer inspection most people only glanced at them in passing before continuing to mind their own business. “Ah. This does look like a rather nice setup.”

“Indeed. To give a proper report to my grandmother, though, I think we should explore a bit more.” Atobe gave her a downright mischievous grin. “Shall we?”

“Let’s.” Sanada chuckled. “This had better be worth all the trouble I had dodging my family’s questions.”

“Oh?” Atobe lifted his eyebrows even as he led Sanada further into the festival grounds. “Surely they should be used to you seeing friends every now and then. You’ve never seemed to have trouble with visiting me before.”

“It wasn’t trouble, really. Just. They got rather too curious.” Sanada sighed, shaking her head. “My sister-in-law went out with her friends, and my brother had just assumed I’d be available to watch my nephew since he had to do some work. Luckily my mother was very clear that it was his problem for not checking with me that I wouldn’t have plans, but he still insisted on asking way too many questions.”

“Well! Clearly I need to work hard to take your mind off such invasiveness.” Atobe smirked. “And maybe we should take some pictures as proof, ahn? I’m sure nobody will wonder if you’re not in the pictures you share, I doubt they expect you to be the type to take selfies.”

“I’m not. I only have pictures of myself because you’ve taken some.” And those were going to stay locked away from his family. “Still, that isn’t a bad idea."

“It’s settled, then. Plenty of photos to show them that you indeed had better things to do, and making this worth your trouble. I think I’m up to the task.” Atobe snapped his fingers. “Shall we, then? I feel like I could use a snack to start with. Need to make sure I have enough energy to run around the place, after all.”

“What about your famous stamina, though?” Sanada chuckled as Atobe threw her a half-hearted glare. “Right, right. Shouldn’t get between you and treats.”

“I merely enjoy the finer things in life.” Atobe huffed. “Now, come on. Let me spoil you a little.”

Sanada refrained from pointing out that Atobe seemed to be very little but spoiling her, no matter the occasion. Instead, she let herself be pulled along by Atobe’s enthusiasm. It was almost adorable, really, the way Atobe was treating every little thing as an exciting new experience.

She had never thought she would be so happy to see Atobe smiling, but it was rather contagious.

After some time Sanada had almost forgotten to be self-conscious. At first it felt like everyone was staring at her, but she soon came to realize this was not the case. Sure, she got a glance or two sometimes, being so tall and lanky for a girl, but Atobe also got looks for his appearance. The only time she caught more attention was when she spoke, her deep voice being something of a giveaway, but luckily Atobe was all too happy to take care of conversation when they were too close to others.

Against all odds, Sanada was rather starting to enjoy herself.

“Gen-kun?”

Sanada froze, gripping Atobe’s arm somewhat tighter than she had meant to. The next moment she started walking off with some haste, trying and probably failing to look like she hadn’t heard anything. Atobe followed her without protest, actually waiting until they were some ways away before questioning her.

“What is going on?” Atobe sounded confused, and perhaps a little concerned. Which was ridiculous, why would Atobe be concerned about her, but that seemed to be the case.

“I — I think I just heard my sister-in-law.” Sanada could feel herself trembling, though she wasn’t going to admit it. Not that there was any way to hide it from Atobe’s eyes, anyway. “I knew she went out with her friends, I just — I never thought —”

“Shit,” Atobe murmured, all signs of levity gone as he turned serious. “You think she recognized you?”

“I heard her calling my name.” Sanada couldn’t help but look back over her shoulder. “She must have seen me, it’s — I’m not sure we can hide if she starts looking…”

“Right.” Atobe nodded, all business now. “If she does ask anything, you can blame it all on me. Say that you lost a bet, or it was a dare, or whatever you need to say.” He touched Sanada’s arm. “I’m sorry. This was my idea, and now I might have gotten you in trouble."

“No. You asked me if I wanted to do it, and I had every opportunity to refuse. I wanted to come, and I wanted to come as — as myself.” Sanada drew a deep breath. “I don’t want to lie. But I don’t want…”

“I want you to stay safe.” There was something very soft in Atobe’s expression, now. “I couldn’t stand it if something I did, however indirectly, caused you any grief.”

“I don’t —” She never got to finish her sentence before being interrupted by the same familiar voice.

"Gen-kun! It was you!”

After a moment of standing frozen on her steps, she finally turned around. Atobe did so as well, and she could feel Atobe’s arm at her back, providing what little support he could. “…Miku-nee. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I would say the same, particularly in such attire.” Miku looked confused, but at least she wasn’t immediately angry. “What is going on?”

Atobe tensed at his side, and Sanada could practically feel the words struggling to leave his mouth. However, he held back for now, leaving Sanada to speak for herself.

She weighed her options. She could have lied, could have taken one of the excuses Atobe had offered. She might have even justified them to herself; after all, this had been all Atobe’s idea, which was nearly the same as a dare. However, she couldn’t bring herself to lie to her sister-in-law, even if that meant trouble.

“Ah.” She smoothed down the fabric of her yukata. “I — I just wanted to dress pretty.”

“Well, you certainly did that! Though this seems a bit more than just clothes.” She looked Sanada up and down, no doubt taking in her make-up and hair and accessories. Then, her eyes turned to Atobe. “And what about your companion?”

“Atobe Keigo. I needed someone to keep me company for the evening, and Sanada-chan was gracious enough to agree.” Atobe gave her a beaming smile, though Sanada rather imagined she heard a hint of steel underneath Atobe’s voice. “She does look rather pretty, doesn’t she?”

“I have to agree.” Miku paused. “Also happy. Well, until I interfered, anyway.”

“Ah. I was… enjoying my time.” Sanada couldn’t quite look her in the eye. “It’s nice, being out like this.”

“And now I ruined your evening.” Miku reached over to touch the side of Sanada’s face. “Hey.”

She finally looked over to Miku again. “Yes?”

“Please stop looking so terrified.” Miku sighed, then gave her a faint smile. “I’m not going to tell anyone. I might not know what’s going on with you, but even at a distance I could see that you were happy.” She clicked her tongue. “You’re at a difficult age, and no doubt working hard to figure out who you are. I’m not going to be the reason you smile less.”

Sanada swallowed. “I wouldn’t want to make you lie to everyone.”

“Lie? What lie? It’s not like anyone’s going to ask me if I happened to see you getting all dressed up.” Miku brushed a strand of hair behind Sanada’s ear. “I might mention that I saw you out with a friend, but that is all.”

“Thank you.” Atobe spoke up as Sanada found her own voice lost. “I would hate to think my invitation caused Sanada-chan any trouble.”

“You mean, you were fully prepared to throw yourself on the metaphorical sword for me.” And yet, Sanada couldn’t help but give Atobe a faint smile.

“Of course. Is that not what a gentleman is supposed to do for a lady?”

“Oh, he’s a good one! I do hope you plan on keeping him around, Gen-kun.” Miku gave him a smile. “Now, I won’t keep you young ones any longer. Please, do enjoy your evening, don’t let me hold you back.”

“Right. I — I think we can do that.” Sanada smiled a bit. “Thank you, Miku-nee.”

“Don’t mention it.” Miku chuckled. “Let’s just call this a secret between us girls, hm?” With a wink, she patted Sanada on the cheek, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Atobe was quiet for a moment, though he did draw Sanada a bit closer. Finally, he spoke. “Are you all right?”

“I’m — I’m not sure.” Sanada worried her lower lip. “It seems like things will be all right? I mean, if Miku-nee says she’s not going to tell anyone, I trust her. She’s not exactly big on gossip.”

“But you are still a bit shaken.” Damn Atobe and his Insight. “Maybe we should find somewhere to sit down?”

“That does sound like a good idea.” Sanada sighed.

“Let us go, then.” Atobe started guiding her through the crowd, firm and confident as ever. “I would offer to get you a big stuffed animal of some kind, but it would probably be rather difficult to hide.”

“Ah.” Sanada’s cheeks flushed. “I… think I saw a stand that was selling some small ones. Small enough to fit inside a bag.”

Atobe’s eyes lit up. “Excellent! I’ll definitely get you one of those. But first, let’s sit so you can take some time to gather yourself.” He was off speaking again, then, all but rambling as he went on to explain what else he still wanted to try out at the festival, and Sanada only half-listened but she could still feel the smile returning to her lips, little by little.

Perhaps the evening wasn’t entirely ruined after all.

*

As much as she preferred to be direct, it wasn’t until their customary conversation over tea that Sanada managed to bring up the subject that had been bugging her all day.

There was no way Atobe hadn’t noticed, he seemed to know how her mind worked better than she did sometimes, but he had decided not to prod. Which was probably for the better, Sanada wasn’t sure if she could have forced the words out until she was ready, but it was still a bit unsettling to realize how well Atobe clearly knew her.

Setting her cup down, Sanada sighed. “I, ah. I… heard some rumors, recently. About you.”

“Rumors about me?” Atobe chuckled. “Somehow, I’m not surprised. That tends to be the case, well, always.”

“Even so. This was a bit more, ah, specific.” Sanada drew a deep breath. “Apparently, people are saying that you have a girlfriend.”

“Are they, now.” Atobe looked more amused than anything, lifting his eyebrows. “Do go on.”

“And, well. I think it’s — I think it might be about me.” Sanada glanced aside. “People were talking about how you’ve been spending a lot of time with someone and buying them a lot of gifts and refusing to say anything about it.”

“That does sound rather like our situation, yes.” Atobe tapped a fingertip against his teacup. “Is that a problem?”

“For me?” Sanada frowned. “Why would it be? It’s not me they are gossiping about. Not that they are aware of, anyway.”

“And why do you think I would mind?” As he glanced at Atobe, Sanada found himself faced with a quirked eyebrow. “You really think there hasn’t been gossip about me ever since I came to Japan?”

“That’s not it.” Sanada made a face. “It’s… some of them have a different theory.” At Atobe’s questioning gaze, she drew a deep breath. “Some are saying you have a boyfriend instead.”

“Well, that doesn’t bother me." Atobe paused. “Is it a problem for you?”

“No.” That, at least, was an easy part of this conversation. The only easy part, really. “Forgive me, but you don’t exactly have the most heterosexual reputation around the tennis circles. If I had a problem with that, I never would have approached you in the first place.” Never mind that she was actually drawn to men herself, but that was rather more complicated.

That drew a chuckle from Atobe. “True, I suppose. Nevertheless, let me make some things clear.” Atobe gave Sanada a surprisingly sharp gaze, though his lips were still curled in a smile. “Now, contrary to what some people may believe, I am actually interested in women. In a less surprising twist, I am also interested in men. And most importantly,” Atobe reached over the table to touch Sanada’s hand, “I happen to be interested in you.”

Sanada blinked. “You… really?”

“Oh, good. So you were indeed just being oblivious and not trying to let me down gently or something.” Atobe chuckled. “Yes, I am. You are an excellent tennis player, you are not bad to look at, and you can actually give me a decent conversation once I coax you out of his shell.”

“Is that why…”

“Why I’ve been helping you? No. The reasons I told you in the beginning still hold. I like fashion, I like shopping, and I like helping people. However, I've found I also genuinely enjoy spending time with you specifically. And of course,” his lips twitched into a smirk, “I am very selfish in my efforts to make you pretty.”

Sanada felt her cheeks flushing. “You don’t think I’m weird, then?” Because that was her greatest fear in that matter. “I mean, I know you haven’t mocked me or anything, but tolerating a quirk in a friend is rather different from seeing the same thing in someone you might be attracted to.”

“I would be offended by this slight on my character, but I will forgive you for the fact that you seem to have realized we are friends.” Atobe’s smirk softened into a smile. “I told you, didn’t I? I like men, I like women, and I especially like you. I’m happy to be your friend, but I would be lying if I claimed I wouldn’t be even happier to be your boyfriend.”

“Even if I’m not sure if I would rather be your boyfriend or girlfriend?”

“Even so.” Atobe’s hand finally took a proper hold of Sanada’s. “I’m attracted to you either way, and I especially enjoy seeing you happy. I’ll support anything that will make you smile, whatever that ends up being.”

“You really mean that.” It seemed unlikely, yet he could see no sign that Atobe might be lying.

“I don’t say things I don’t mean.” Atobe shook his head. “The metaphorical ball is in your court, Yukari-chan. We can go in whatever direction you would prefer. All I hope is that I haven’t entirely scared you away by my confession.”

“No! I — no, you haven’t.” Sanada sighed. “I’m just not sure why. I mean… you could probably date just about anyone you want.”

“Well, that depends on your answer, since I rather want to date you.”

"You really are impossible.” But then, apparently she was starting to like Atobe’s brand of impossibility. “I suppose I would just be doing the world a favor by keeping you all to myself.”

“You certainly would be doing me one.” Atobe’s smile got brighter. “Are we agreed, then? Shall we try to give some truth to the rumors?”

“Hn.” Sanada couldn’t help but return the smile. “I thought you said the rumors were already rather on the spot.”

“Oh, but it would be entirely different to spend time with my very cute girlfriend, even if the exact circumstances might be the same.”

“Impossible, as I said.” And yet, she wasn’t drawing away.

*

“Ah, excellent timing.” Atobe grinned as Sanada walked in, looking up from what he had been working on. A dress on a mannequin, Sanada realized, one that he recognized. “I was just about done.”

“Done doing what?” Sanada frowned. “Isn’t that the dress I tried on last time but it was terrible with my shoulders?”

“The very same. Except as you might notice, that problem area should be less problematic now.” Atobe looked very proud as he stepped back. “It’s just temporary stitching for now, but if it looks fine, I'll fix the seams a bit more permanently.”

“You mean you did the adjustments yourself?” Sanada blinked. “Do you even know how to sew?”

The words came out snider than Sanada had intended, but Atobe didn’t seem too affected. He gave a sniff in a pretense of offense, but ruined the effect immediately by smirking. “I’ll have you know I excel at everything I decide to try.” After a beat of silence, he added, “Also, I took a class.”

“A class?” Sanada wasn’t sure how to feel about that. “You took a class on sewing just to adjust my dresses?”

“No, I took a class on sewing because I like fashion and I’m picky. You just give me an excellent opportunity to put my skills to practice." Atobe took the dress off the mannequin, then presented it to Sanada with a flourish. “Now, try it on. I think it works, but your opinion is what really matters.”

Sanada decided to forgo any further skepticism, seeing how there was a very easy method for finding out how successful Atobe had been. He moved behind the partition that had by now become a permanent fixture in Atobe’s massive room, changing into the dress.

The dress fell over Sanada’s body like a magic veil, changing not just his appearance but also mindset. It still felt like playing dress-up, but if Atobe was happy to play along, Sanada wasn’t going to argue. Not when the dress that had nearly brought her to tears the last time was now framing her in a much more flattering way, giving her shoulders a much more delicate line without looking like it was hiding anything.

“Yukari-chan?” She could practically hear the smirk in Atobe’s voice. “Any improvement?”

“I suppose it’s less awful.” Sanada drew a deep breath before stepping into view. “At least it’s not making me cry anymore.”

“Good. If it had managed that a second time, I would have to set it on fire in retribution.” Atobe shook his head, looking entirely serious about his ridiculous claim. “I aim to make you happy with these clothes, and making you feel worse about your body is the last thing I want to do.”

“For the record, they usually do make me happy.” Even now, she couldn’t help but smooth her hands down her skirt.

“Even so. This dress failed you before, and therefore I failed you in picking it. The least I can do is fix the problem.” Atobe stepped closer, giving the dress a critical look. “Hm. Yes, this will work. Since I’ve already got your blessing, I’ll finish the alterations later.”

“Right.” Sanada paused, trying to find a way to word her request. “I… there’s this dress I saw a little while ago.”

“Let me guess, something that you liked but wouldn’t work for your body type?” Atobe grinned. “Get me a picture or an online link, and I’ll see what I can do. I’m sure I can either make adjustments or try to replicate the parts you like.”

“If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Would I be offering if it were?” Atobe hummed in thought. “It’s excellent practice, and a fascinating problem to solve, too. And in the end, I’ll be rewarded by the sight of you in another pretty outfit.” Then, because Atobe could never fail to be utterly ridiculous, he actually took Sanada’s hand and bowed over it, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand.

“You are impossible.” Yet, she couldn’t help but flush, not even thinking of pulling her hand away.

“Oh, I assure you, I am very much possible.” Atobe smirked. “I merely have a very lovely muse.”

There were worse things Sanada had been called.

*

“I should have known you had some scheme in mind when you brought out all those party dresses and shoes.”

“Oh, yes I did. Said scheme was getting you into some cute shoes and a fancy dress that you feel good in.” Atobe grinned, leading her by the hand into a ridiculously grandiose ball room. “Teaching you to dance is just a bonus.”

“I know how to dance. Though I suppose I could use some practice in being led.” Also, Atobe had probably taken some extra fancy lessons, but she saw no reason to point that out.

“And what better time than right now?” Atobe chuckled. He stepped aside to fiddle with what appeared to be a sound system hidden behind a wooden panel, then returned to Sanada’s side as music started pouring out of hidden speakers. “May I have this dance?”

“I suppose if you must.” Sanada only hesitated a moment, and then only because she wasn’t sure if her height would make things awkward. Her shoes were almost entirely flat, but she was still slightly taller than Atobe. Atobe had no such concerns, arranging their hands appropriately before starting to dance.

It took her a moment to get used to being led across the floor, but after that it was surprisingly easy to settle into the rhythm. It did help that Atobe kept the steps simple for now, though Sanada had no doubt things would get more complicated in time. For now, though, she simply let herself get swept away by the music and Atobe’s sure hands.

The music kept playing and they kept dancing, moving from one dance to another as the music shifted. A few times Atobe slowed down to help Sanada get a grasp on another set of steps or give her instructions in some more dramatic move. However, most of the time it was just Atobe and Sanada, light conversation, and the music all around them.

Sanada nearly protested as Atobe finally brought them to a stop, only to realize she was actually rather tired. She shook her legs as Atobe went over to turn the music off. As Atobe returned to her, Sanada gave him a weary smile.

“I have to say, I’m about ready to sit down for some tea and sweets.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged.” Atobe chuckled, offering her his arm. “How about we have it in the sitting room across the hall? That way you won’t have to walk too far.”

“I’m not that tired.” Which didn’t mean she didn’t appreciate the break. She wasn’t sure how long they had been dancing, but apparently it had been a while.

“I’m sure you’re not.” Atobe gave her an innocent smile. “You’re wearing new shoes, though, and even though they’re excellent quality, that can get somewhat tiring. Besides, maybe I just want to show off the sitting room. It’s one of my favorites.”

“We both know what you really want to show off is your stamina." Sanada snorted. “All that, and you look fresh as a daisy.”

“Good! I wouldn’t be a good match for you otherwise.” Atobe leaned in to press a light kiss to Sanada’s cheek, and she couldn’t help but blush. “Tired or not, you look absolutely lovely.”

“Just get me some tea already, you impossible man.” Nevertheless, she couldn’t help but smile.

She was already looking forward to the next time they danced.

*

“So, I have good news and bad news.” Never let it be said that Atobe couldn’t get straight to the point when he wanted to. “The good news is, I’ve got your dress.”

Sanada tried and failed to ignore the way his heart jumped in excitement, focusing on the other part of what Atobe had said. “And what’s the bad news?” He hoped Atobe wasn’t canceling their scheduled meeting, especially when he had already mentioned the dress. Sanada wasn’t too hopeful it could be made to look good on his frame, but he also knew Atobe was too proud to call something done if he wasn’t at least reasonably sure that it would be met with approval.

“I was showing it to my mother, and now my parents want to see it on you. So, you’re invited for dinner at my place, with my parents present.”

Sanada froze. Before he could think of what to say in response, though, Atobe went on, saving him for the moment.

“I told them it’s entirely up to you. I haven’t told them anything about you, just that I was adjusting the dress for someone whose body shape is not quite traditional for a lady. However, I figured I should at least ask you.”

“I… don’t think that would go well.”

“I actually believe it could be nice. They know what to expect, so it’s not like they would be surprised or anything. Of course, I would do my best to make you look even prettier than you already are, so you don’t have to worry about any of that. It’s all up to you, though.” Atobe paused. “Or you could come as Sanada Genichirou. That would be fine, too.”

Sanada let out a long breath. “…Do you want me to come?”

“I would rather like my parents to know the person who has become such a big part of my life lately.” Atobe’s voice softened. “Whether it’s as my girlfriend, boyfriend, or just a friend, well, that’s up to you.”

The answer should have been obvious. There was no reason to court danger when he could just go for the least troublesome option. And yet, that was not what he heard his own voice say. “Are you sure that would be all right?”

“Positive. I know my parents might not seem like it at first glance, but they are actually rather forward-thinking in these matters. They’ve certainly never had any trouble with my sexuality, and seemed nothing but curious about you. However, as I said, it’s all up to you.” Atobe hummed in thought. “You know, you could come over at your usual time. That way, there’s time for you to dress up and get your hair and make-up all nice, and if you then decide you’re not comfortable we can get rid of all that in time for dinner.”

“Hn. Dressing nice does tend to calm my nerves.” Sanada considered this. “Staying over for a proper dinner would mean I’d be rather late in getting home, though. And yes, I know you could arrange for a car to take me back, but that would just create more questions I’d need to answer.”

“You could always stay over. It’s not like we don’t have any guest rooms.” Atobe clicked his tongue. “Think it over, all right? We can just have our regular meeting, maybe some more dancing. I found these really pretty clip-on earrings that I thought you might like, too. They’re these tiny golden bees that will work out great with your .”

“By ‘found’, do you happen to mean you specifically ordered something needlessly expensive just for me?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?” Atobe chuckled. “Either way, I have them now, so the price is a moot point.”

“That is as good as an answer.” Sanada couldn’t help but smile, though. “You really like this bee thing with me, huh.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault that Rikkai uniforms seem to have trained you to like yellow, and you know I like seeing you in color.” He could practically hear Atobe’s smirk. “At least I’m not calling you honey, ahn?”

“Only because that would imply that you are the bee, I’m sure.” Sanada shook his head. “I’ll… see what my parents say. It shouldn’t be a problem, assuming I can get past any overly curious questions.”

“Just tell them my parents like to know my friends. It’s true enough, I just don’t often spend enough time with anyone outside of Hyoutei to be notable, so introductions aren’t necessary too often.” Atobe clicked his tongue. “If they have any questions, I can give you my mother’s contact information. Only after making it clear to her that she shouldn’t be too detailed about our activities, of course.”

“Hn. I’m hoping it won’t be necessary, but it might keep my mother from getting too worried.” Sanada was quiet for a moment. “So. You want to introduce me to your parents, huh?”

“That I do.” Atobe’s voice was soft and warm and almost careful, completely different from his usual boisterous confidence. “You have become rather important to me, and I rather hope you will continue to be a part of my life for a long time. And not just because I haven’t yet managed to convince you that I’m the superior player, either.”

It was a stupid joke, but it was a relief to Sanada’s still rather wrought nerves, which was no doubt why Atobe had said it. He chuckled. “Remind me why I love you, again.”

It wasn’t until a moment of silence had passed that he realized what exactly he had said. Well, no matter. He hadn’t said anything he didn’t mean, and he had no intention of going back on his words. Now, perhaps neither of them had expected it, but it was still true.

Sanada half expected some snarky remark or a joke in response, but what Atobe said instead was quite simple. “I love you too, you know.”

The call continued for another while, but Sanada couldn’t banish his smile the entire time.

*

“Would it be too late to say that I’m absolutely terrified?”

“I’m never going to discourage you from speaking about your feelings, sweetheart.” Atobe smiled at her, brushing a strand of hair from her face before stepping back. “As for late, we might be a bit delayed for dinner if you want to change out of all this, but I would rather be late than have you be uncomfortable.”

“Ah.” She considered this for a moment. On one hand, she still wasn’t entirely happy about being seen all dressed up by anyone who was supposed to actually know her. On the other hand…

Sanada glanced in the mirror. Atobe had done an excellent job with her make-up, her hair teased into soft waves instead of the stubby ponytail she had been favoring lately in her day-to-day life. The dress was beyond what she could have hoped for. The original dress had been relatively simple, a soft yellow sundress with a black waistband that rather reminded her of the Rikkai uniform design. Atobe had worked some sort of magic on it, changing the cut of the skirt to hide her lack of hips and replacing the shoulder straps with light sleeves and a neckline that concealed the broadness of her shoulders.

Sanada turned to study her silhouette in the mirror and had to fight down a blush. She had hesitated when Atobe had enquired about her feelings regarding padding, but in the end she had given in to the temptation. Looking at herself now, she was very glad for her decision. Atobe had kept things rather minimal, and the dresses she had tried on so far had been cute on their own, but looking at her reflection right now she felt… right.

Atobe caught her eyes in the mirror and smirked. “Like what you see?”

“Hn.” Now she was definitely blushing, but as Atobe didn’t point it out, she was quite happy to pretend it hadn’t happened either. “There is something to be said about the right clothes lending confidence.”

“I will take that to mean you are happy with your current appearance.” Atobe grinned, offering an arm to her. “Shall we, then?”

“Let’s, before I lose my nerve.” As it was, she wasn’t sure she could make the entire journey from Atobe’s room to the dining room, even with the strong arm to steady her. No match had ever made her this nervous.

Somehow they made it all the way to the dining room without cold feet. Upon entering she found her nerves momentarily overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur of the room. She was fairly used to everything on the estate being big and luxurious, but even so she had expected something at least relatively modest for a dinner for four, perhaps something like the sitting room where Atobe and she had had tea a couple of times now. Instead she found herself in a massive room with a table long enough to fit several tennis teams, with honest to goodness chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

“Ah, there you are!” The unfamiliar voice drew her attention back to the closest end of the table, where four places had been set. A foreign-looking woman was already seated, waving at them as though there was any way for them to miss her, while a man who looked an awful lot like Atobe was standing next to her.

“I do hope we are not too late.” Atobe smiled, guiding her forward with a gentle but insistent hand. “First, let’s get introductions over with, ahn? Yukari-chan, these are my parents, Atobe Akihito and Elizabeth. Mom, Dad, this is Sanada Yukari-chan,” Atobe’s smile got just a bit brighter, “my girlfriend.”

“Ah.” Sanada was suddenly terribly aware of every detail of her body, from her stocky frame to her deep voice. “I apologize for my intrusion.”

“I hope Keigo wasn’t too forceful in convincing you to join us.” The man who was no doubt Atobe’s father stepped closer, giving Sanada a closer look. “Well! I see Keigo rather takes after me in his taste in women.”

Sanada was so flustered, she couldn’t even ask what exactly that was supposed to mean. A moment later it was answered for her regardless as Atobe’s mother stood up, approaching her as well. Atobe’s mother was tall, even taller than Sanada in her heels, and she carried her impressive height like a queen. For all that Sanada had despaired several times about her height making it impossible for her to be cute and feminine, here was living proof that a tall woman could indeed be absolutely stunning.

Sanada glanced to her side and found Atobe smirking. No doubt he had foreseen this revelation.

“Oh, don’t tease them, Akihito.” Atobe’s mother clicked her tongue before smiling at Sanada. “You look absolutely adorable, darling! No wonder Keigo keeps telling us how pretty you are. And is this the dress he mentioned?”

“Ah, I think so.” Sanada nodded, still somewhat nervous but starting to relax. “Atobe-kun really did wonders with this. When I first saw the dress in a store, I was certain it would never look good on me.”

“It is easy to accentuate the beauty in a girl who is already pretty.” Atobe grinned and then actually took her hand and kissed the back of it because he was absolutely impossible. “I’m just glad you decided to trust me enough to give me the chance.”

“Oh, please. You’re just saying all that to make me blush.” Which was very much working, mind.

“That does sound like our Keigo.” Atobe’s father chuckled. “Perhaps we should move on to the dinner? We can continue conversation at the table, and perhaps the food will ease any remaining nerves.”

Sanada was not about to protest, not even as Atobe pulled out a seat for her. It was ridiculous, but it was also nice, and she wasn’t about to complain about her boyfriend going out of his way to be a gentleman.

Her boyfriend. She’d barely gotten used to that idea, and now someone else was aware of it, too. Atobe’s parents knew, they knew all about her, and they didn’t seem to have a problem with any of it.

She wasn’t sure this wasn’t a dream, but for now she was going to enjoy it.

Sanada had feared an interrogation, but the dinner conversation was mostly light. Atobe’s parents questioned her about how she was doing at school, what she did besides tennis, and how she had come to be so important in their dear Keigo’s life. Atobe kept making small comments here and there, especially on the last point, and Sanada couldn’t help but wonder if that wasn’t in part to help her when she stumbled over her words.

“Wait.” She blinked as Atobe mentioned something almost as an aside. “You mean you liked me even before all this?”

“I told you, I’m attracted to you no matter what.” Atobe’s lips twitched. “Though I have to admit that before you first came over, my interest was mostly based on your appearance and tennis skills. It wasn’t until we spent some time together outside tennis that I discovered you had a personality beyond being stern and loud.”

“Keigo! That’s no way to speak of your girlfriend.” Atobe’s mother frowned, but Sanada shook her head.

“No, it’s more than fair. I hadn’t given a very good impression in the past.” Sanada gave Atobe a faint smile. “Honestly, I think I have discovered new sides to myself as well. I did spend a lot of time trying to be stern and loud, in hopes of coming across as more manly.”

“For the record, I rather like the personality I’ve come to know.” Atobe’s smile turned into something of a smirk. “What about you? Were you interested at all before I started buying you dresses?”

“Try not to make it sound like I’m some sort of a gold digger, please.” Sanada sighed but then smiled again. “I would say my experience was rather the same. I knew you were good at tennis and easy on the eyes, but I wasn’t as convinced that I would like your personality.”

“And yet you trusted me.”

“Yes. I thought you were an arrogant show-off, but even so I believed you were too honorable to spread my secrets.” Sanada reached over to touch Atobe’s hand. “You have proved yourself worth my trust a hundred times over.”

“That is good to hear.” Atobe’s father gave a serious nod. “I would be disappointed indeed if Keigo had betrayed your trust.”

“Please. I completely agree with my being an arrogant show-off, but none of that means I don’t have honor.” Atobe sniffed.

“Of course you have honor. You wouldn’t be a worthy rival otherwise.” Sanada shook her head. “And now you are no doubt enjoying the chance to show me off.”

“Only because I know it is safe for you.” Atobe gave her a surprisingly serious look. “As much as I would love to tell the world how lucky I am, I would never endanger your safety or happiness like that.”

“And there you go, turning my teasing into something terribly serious.” Sanada shook her head. “You really are impossible.” And yet, she was smiling.

Somehow Sanada survived the dinner without dying of sheer awkwardness, at which point Atobe’s parents suggested taking the dessert to a sitting room. Sanada was frankly relieved to get into a somewhat less intimidating room, for all that this was still needlessly grand.

She had just started to think she might be able to relax, savoring the taste of the rich chocolate cake while Atobe engaged in light conversation with his father. Of course, this proved to be false, as she heard a light voice from her side.

“Yukari-chan? Could I have a moment?”

“Atobe-san! Of course.” She tried not to let her nerves show too much, though she probably failed.

“Please, dear, don’t look so worried.” Atobe’s mother smiled. “First off, you can call me Elizabeth. Don’t worry, I won’t think you are rude or anything.” She actually waited for Sanada to get less visibly tense before she went on. “I wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me?” Sanada blinked. “For what?”

“For getting Keigo interested in something simply because it matters to him, not because he is trying to beat someone or impress those around him.” Elizabeth chuckled. “Well, no doubt he is also trying to impress you, but it is quite different in this case.”

“Hn.” Sanada paused. “He does tend to excel in everything.”

“Quite. Don’t take me wrong, we are very proud of his accomplishments, but it seems he is rather focused on competition. Tennis has been his most long-lived interest, no doubt because of the number of talented rivals. However, we have worried that he might not find what he truly wants to do with his life and just gravitate towards whatever will let him be the best.”

“That does sound like him.”

“Indeed. For a while now I had thought he might want to pursue tennis professionally. Not that that would be a bad thing, but I feel like he has much more to give to the world.” Elizabeth smiled. “Now, he has actually been talking about studying fashion design in the future. Clearly, you have been a big influence on him, and for that, I’m thankful.”

“I’m not sure it’s thanks to me at all.” Sanada flushed, then paused as another thought occurred to her. “You… wouldn’t be upset with that? I mean. Clearly he has talent in this area, but I would have thought you would prefer for him to carry on the family business.”

“Oh, no. The Atobe conglomerate is far too big for one person to hold all the strings, anyway, and in any case Keigo would never be happy with that life. What we want is for him to find his own path and make his mark on the world, in whatever field that happens to be.” Elizabeth shook her head with a fond expression. “Though if I know my son at all, he will no doubt end up getting into the fashion industry proper. He is his father’s child, after all.”

“I would protest, but it would be a lie.” Apparently Atobe had crept up on them, interrupting their conversation with a smile. “Also, there is clearly a need for more supply of pretty clothes for less traditionally shaped women in the market. Even if I don’t get into it myself, it wouldn’t be a bad investment idea.”

“See? His father’s child through and through.” Elizabeth chuckled. “Enough of this serious talk, though. Let’s finish our dessert and then we’ll stop bothering you kids.”

Sanada took this as a sign she could return to her rather delicious chocolate cake, though Atobe’s arm at her waist somehow made it even better.

*

“I’m exhausted.” Sanada sighed as she took a seat on the couch in Atobe’s room. It was late, but not so late that she would have been in a hurry to head to the guest room that had been set up not too far from Atobe’s.

“Understandable. My parents can be a bit much, even if you’re used to me.” Atobe reached an arm around Sanada, tugging gently until she let her head fall on his shoulder. “Would you like to go to bed?”

“Not yet.” Her exhaustion was mostly emotional, anyway, and besides she didn’t want to leave Atobe’s side just yet. Not if she could instead stay here, feeling warm and safe and appreciated.

“As you wish.” Atobe’s hand ran up and down her arm, slow and sure. “I’m certainly not complaining about the chance to spend more time with you.”

“Sweet talker.” She set her hand on Atobe’s knee. “Though I suppose it’s a good thing you aren’t sick of me yet.”

“Sick of you? Quite the contrary.” Atobe turned his head to press a kiss on her hair. “Every time I think I have you figured out, I discover something new and fascinating about you.”

“Oh?” Sanada lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him, unable to help a small smile. “And did you discover something new today?”

“Of course.” Atobe grinned at her. “I never could have believed I could convince you to dance in front of my parents, if only for a moment.”

“That reminds me, tell your mother she needs to send me a copy of that picture she took.” At the time it had startled her, but now she was rather glad to know such a photo existed, even if it would never be shared with the rest of the world.

“Consider it done.” Atobe touched the side of her face, a soft caress along her cheek before he leaned in for a kiss.

Sanada sighed into the contact, her eyes falling shut. There was a part of her that tried to claim she should have felt bad, should have been ashamed or embarrassed or afraid. However, there was no space for such feelings here, not when Atobe was holding her like she was something precious and beautiful.

“You take my breath away, Yukari-chan,” Atobe murmured against her lips, and she couldn’t help but shiver. There was something deep in Atobe’s voice that she couldn’t quite name, affection and amazement and perhaps even desire, and it was all directed at her. No, not even quite that. It was all directed at Yukari, except she was Yukari, Atobe looked at her and saw Yukari and that made him feel all these things.

She let herself get swept away in the sensations, leaning into the kisses and caresses. For just a moment there was just Atobe, Atobe’s mouth and hands and the smooth fabric of her dress. It felt good, she felt good, and she wanted that small moment to stretch out forever.

Then Atobe’s hand slid up her thigh, under the skirt of her dress, and she froze.

Atobe drew away at once, the questing hand and lips retreating even as he felt his other arm still around her. Opening her eyes, she found him looking at her clear concern.

“Hey.” There was a faint blush on Atobe’s face, but his eyes were serious. “You all right?”

“S-sorry.” She bit her lip, trying to put words to the sudden dread that had reared its ugly head inside her. “I just…”

“First, please do not apologize.” Atobe reached to take her hand, warm and reassuring. “I want to know if I’m doing something you don’t like. Hell, I want to know if I’m doing something you do like, for that matter. I have very little idea what I’m doing, and this side of dating is probably best not learned from, ah, media.” Atobe grinned at her deepening blush before letting his smile soften a bit. “If you want to stop, we’ll stop. It’s that simple.”

“It’s not simple at all.” She turned her gaze away, though she was under no illusion that this might hide anything from Atobe’s ever sharp eyes. “It’s not that I don’t want, well — this. With you. I just…”

“Yes?” Atobe coaxed as she had been silent a moment, voice almost impossibly gentle. If she hadn’t known for a fact this was the same man who got so very loud and arrogant in front of an audience, it would have been difficult to believe. “What do you want, love?”

Perhaps it was the endearment that broke her, perhaps it had just been building up inside her all this time, but suddenly she was speaking again. “I want to be your girlfriend,” she murmured, struck cold by the realization of how deep this sentiment ran within her. “I — I thought it would be fine, when you said you liked me either way. I thought it wouldn’t matter to you that I’m, well… like this.” Tall and broad and everything that a girl shouldn’t have been.

“It doesn’t.” Atobe squeezed her hand gently. “You are beautiful to me, never doubt that.”

“But — but it matters to me.” She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to swallow around the sudden lump in her throat. She had never even admitted this to herself, not in so many words. “When I’m all dressed up and pretty, I can pretend that’s who I really am. That I’m just a tall and awkward girl who doesn’t really know how to act like a lady sometimes. But like this, there’s no hiding from the truth.” She drew a deep breath, trying to focus enough to put the words together in a way that made sense. It would have been easier to do if any of this had made sense in the first place. “I’m wrong. I’ve known that for a while, but I thought the wrong part was me liking all this. Now I can’t help but think it’s the other way around. That — that it’s my body that’s all wrong, not my thoughts. And I don’t want you to see how wrong I am.”

There was silence for a moment, and she feared she had said too much. Yukari gritted her teeth, trying and failing to stop the tears from falling. However, Atobe didn’t draw away, didn’t let go of her hand. If anything, he just held her closer.

“I’m not going to tell you that you are not wrong.” Atobe’s voice was low and soft, yet it startled her after the silence. “I’m not going to tell you that, because clearly that’s how you feel and I don’t want to deny your feelings. God knows I want you to speak more about them, not less.” Atobe leaned closer, and she felt a light kiss pressed on her temple. “I can’t help you with that, I’m afraid. What I can do, however, is promise you that you are my beautiful girlfriend, and I’m not going to see you any other way unless you ask me to.”

She opened her eyes, glancing at Atobe through tears. He looked annoyingly sincere, blue eyes staring right into her soul. She opened her mouth, not sure what she was going to say. Point out that things weren’t that simple in the real world, perhaps, for all that Atobe clearly thought he could bend reality itself to his will here in his own realm. None of that was what she said, though. “Your beautiful girlfriend has a cock, you idiot.”

Atobe’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second, but then he smirked. “And I’m sure it’s the most beautiful cock a girl has ever boasted of.” He let go of her hand only to wipe away her tears. “I don’t know how to make things easier for you. Much though I hate to admit it, there is only so much that pretty dresses and make-up can do to help. However, if there is anything I can do to make you happier, in this matter or anything else, you only need to say.”

“Ah.” She blinked, trying to get the tears to stop. “I don’t — I’m not sure.”

“Well, for now, I suggest we simply cuddle for a bit and calm down. You know I hate it when I make you cry.” Atobe’s smile took on a hint of mischief. “And perhaps at some later time, we could try and see if you’d feel better if I show you how very much I like your no doubt impressive clitoris?”

Sanada’s blush returned with a vengeance, and she had to hold herself back so she wouldn’t just shove him away. “How can you just say such a thing?”

“A ton of confidence and a bad case of being quite hopelessly in love.” Atobe smiled, pulling her closer to himself. “I don’t know if changing my words would help, but I’m certainly willing to try. Not because I’m so desperate for intimacy, even though I definitely want that, but because I want to make you feel good. Only once you’re ready, though.”

“Ever the gentleman, I see.” And yet, her tears were starting to come to an end.

“What can I say? I was raised by very proper people.” Atobe gave her an almost sheepish grin, if Atobe Keigo could ever actually look sheepish. “I may need to talk about something entirely unrelated for a bit, though. My body hasn’t quite caught up to the change of plans yet and I figure distracting myself would be more polite than taking a more hands-on approach right now.”

“Or,” Sanada said, surprised at her own boldness, “we could each take separate showers to, ah, cool down, change into pajamas, and then cuddle some more.”

“A smart woman! I like that.” Atobe kissed her, sweet and fond, and while she still needed a moment to gather herself she was already feeling better.

When she got to the guest room and found a set of pale yellow pajamas folded on the bed waiting for her, she did cry some more, but they were happy tears this time.

*

“You know you don’t have to do this.”

“Perhaps I don’t have to, but I think I need to.” Sanada sighed, shaking her head. “I just… I don’t think I can keep doing this. Every time I leave your place, I feel worse about going back. That’s… I shouldn’t feel like that about going home.”

“Because going back means you have to seem masculine again.” Atobe took her hand into a surprisingly gentle hold.

“Right.” She sighed. “It’s ridiculous, really. I mean, I’ve been living as a boy literally my entire life. Why would it suddenly become difficult?”

“Perhaps because you’ve come to notice it might not be your only choice. Or that you might be happier another way.”

Sanada could not deny the possibility, so she just nodded. "I… I am happy. Happier than before, at least, and less stressed, even when I’m not dressed up. The people around me have noticed it, too.”

“Good. That means they are likely to accept the news easier, since they already know it’s improving your life.” Atobe squeezed her hands. “No matter what happens, I’ll be right here, and so will my parents if you wish. You don’t have to face any of this alone.”

“You sound awfully serious.”

“You should know by now that I never do anything by halves. Besides, I’m pretty sure the fact that I introduced you to my parents already means I’m serious about you.” Atobe leaned forward to steal a quick kiss.

“It’s good to know I have someone in my corner for sure.” She sighed. “I like to think my family would want me to be happy, but they are also rather old-fashioned. They might not be happy to find out that I am literally a failure as a man.”

“Oh, but you make a rather charming young woman instead.” Atobe rested his forehead against hers. “I’m sure things will be fine in the end, once they see how right this is for you. But in the meantime, you can always stay here if you need some distance.”

“I hope that won’t be necessary. Not only because I don’t want things to be that difficult, but also because I would rather visit here because it makes me happy, not to escape misery.” She paused. “Nevertheless, I’m glad to know that it’s a possibility.”

“Always.” Now, Atobe pressed a kiss on the tip of her nose, because he was ridiculous like that. “So, how do you want to do this? You just have to plan everything, and I’ll make it happen. I’m good at making things happen.”

“Yes, I’ve noticed.” She considered this for a moment. “Ah. A somewhat neutral environment would probably be good? A restaurant or something, one where we can have some privacy. I wouldn’t want to cause a scene.”

“Understood.” Atobe nodded. “And who do you want to be there? Besides yourself and your family, of course.”

Sanada lifted her eyebrows. “Is that your way of asking if you are included? Because the answer is yes.”

“I was hoping, but didn’t want to assume.” Atobe smiled at her. “May I suggest asking one of my parents to come along as well? While I’d hope your family will take you seriously, it wouldn’t hurt having an adult on our side.”

“If you think that would be all right.” She sighed. “I wouldn’t want to cause them trouble.”

“Trouble? On the contrary, I’m rather sure either one of them would be delighted to accompany us. It’s simply a matter of whether you would prefer to be backed by my father’s negotiation tactics, my mother’s unstoppable charm, or both.”

“Ah.” She considered the options for a moment. “I think your mother would be better. I would rather convince them that I’m telling the truth than try to find some sort of compromise.”

“Understood.” Atobe brushed his hand along the side of her face. “She has a more flexible schedule anyway, so we just need to find a time that suits your family. If you can handle that, I’ll take care of the practical side of things.”

“I know you will.” Sanada leaned into the touch. “That’s the only reason I can do this at all.”

It was certainly the only reason she thought this might turn out well in the end.

*

As much as Sanada would have liked to put off the moment of truth, she knew it couldn’t wait forever.

“Shall we, then?” Atobe took her hand. “Your family is waiting.”

“I suppose there’s no helping it.” Sanada sighed, fidgeting with her skirt with her free hand. “Ah. How do I look?”

“Stunning.” Atobe grinned at her half glare. “What? You do. And I’m not just saying this because I’m biased.”

“You always say that, though.” She sighed. “I just… I’m afraid of looking like, well. A man in a dress.”

“You do not. You look like a wonderful, beautiful, brave young woman.” Atobe tugged at her hand gently. “Come on. The longer we wait, the more agitated they will be.”

“I’m fairly sure they are already agitated, though.” After all, it wasn’t exactly ordinary for her to ask them all out to a restaurant like this, especially when she was meeting them there. “You’re right, though. Best not to wait.”

“It will be fine, dear.” Elizabeth touched her shoulder. “Come, now. If you have to take a moment, Keigo and I can keep the conversation going.”

“That, I do not doubt.” It got a smile on her face, though. Deciding to take that as encouragement, she finally gathered herself and walked into the reserved dining room, flanked by the two Atobes.

Her family had clearly been chatting among themselves, but paused and looked up as the door opened. She tried not to focus on the various looks of shock and surprise on every face aside from Miku. Instead, she allowed Atobe to guide her to a free spot at the table and pull out a chair for her.

“Genichirou.” His father frowned. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Actually, I prefer to go by Yukari.” She fought to keep her voice level. “Which would be the main reason why I asked you all to come here.”

“Is this why you have been acting so differently lately?” Her mother glanced at Atobe. “Or perhaps this young man?”

“Yes and yes.” She glanced at Atobe, unable to help the faint smile. “Ah. This is Atobe Keigo, my boyfriend.” She drew a deep breath, not quite able to look at any of them just yet. “He has been very helpful in helping me, well. Find myself.”

“It has been my honor.” Atobe smirked before turning a surprisingly serious gaze at their audience. “I understand that I am something of an outsider here, and it might be tempting to blame me for fostering some sort of a delusion in your child. However, I have only ever done what I can to help her be happy.”

“I agree.” Elizabeth sat on the other side of Atobe. “Atobe Elizabeth, Keigo’s mother. I insisted on accompanying these two, in case Yukari-chan feels the need for some feminine support.” Which was a lie, as they had asked her to come, but somehow she didn’t doubt Elizabeth would have found a way to insert herself no matter what. Sanada was rather familiar with this particular kind of stubborn decisiveness.

“Basically, I think I’m a girl.” Yukari paused, then corrected herself, “No, I know I am a girl. Perhaps an awkward and sometimes rather loud and competitive one, but a girl nevertheless. And I — I can’t keep pretending otherwise.”

The questions and doubts that followed were no surprise. Thankfully, the Atobes kept their promise, jumping in whenever she found herself lost for words.

“I just don’t think this will be good for you,” his mother finally sighed. “I mean, you might think this is what you want right now, but if you insist on something like this it will make your life far too difficult.”

“I’m aware. So you should realize how important this is to me, if I would rather deal with all those complications than continue to live as a man.” She squeezed Atobe’s hand perhaps a little too hard, but he didn’t draw away. “I would not have brought this up if it wasn’t important to me. I — I have to. Every time I have to take off my dress and change back to my usual clothes, it gets more painful.”

“Genichirou.” His grandfather frowned. “It’s not that we doubt your conviction, we just want what is best for you. And I cannot imagine that denying who you were born as will make you happy in the long run.”

“If I may?” Elizabeth cut in before Yukari could think of something to say. Smiling, she reached for her purse, drawing out a picture. As she set it on the table, Yukari realized with a start she recognized the photo. It was the one Elizabeth had taken of Keigo and her dancing.

The picture was a candid one, as they hadn’t realized she was taking it until the flash happened. Atobe was grinning as he spun her around, his blue eyes sparkling as he looked at her like she was something incredibly precious. Yukari herself was smiling, for once looking like she didn’t have a care in the world. Her hair was brushing against her shoulders as Atobe led her in a dance, her skirt spinning with their steps, and even with her doubts she could not see anything but a happy, beautiful young woman.

By their expressions she could see her family saw the same thing.

“Believe me, I understand your worries. I am a parent, too.” Elizabeth’s voice was soft. “However, as much as we wish to make life easier for our children, sometimes we do have to trust them to know their own best. And from what I have seen, Yukari-chan is working hard on finding out what is best for her.”

“Damn,” Souta murmured as he leaned closer to look at the picture. “I’ve never seen a smile like that from you.”

“Because I have spent most of my life feeling like I’m constantly putting on an act to meet the expectations based on me.” She sighed. “When I first allowed myself to think of myself as a girl rather than a man in a dress, I was shocked by how easy it was."

“While I’m sure you all have plenty of questions, perhaps we should actually order before we go on? I believe that would make it easier for us to keep things as a pleasant conversation rather than an interrogation.” Elizabeth smiled. “Besides, I would love to find out more about the family that raised the girl who has made my son so very happy.”

“Yukari-chan?” Miku spoke up for what was probably the first time. As she gave her sister-in-law a careful look, she found Miku smiling at her. “That is a very pretty dress.”

“Ah. Thank you.” She couldn’t help but blush a little. “It’s actually a custom one by Atobe-kun. He combined the top of one dress with the skirt of another, since both had parts I didn’t really like.”

That innocuous compliment eased her nerves somewhat, and as Elizabeth had predicted, moving on to the meal did ease off some of the tone of the conversation. There were still plenty of questions and comments that ranged from innocent yet ignorant to offensive, but while her father and grandfather in particular still seemed reluctant, by the end of dinner she could tell her mother and Souta were coming around, no doubt helped by Miku’s acceptance. Souta was convinced she had lost her mind, though this seemed to be mostly because he couldn’t imagine anyone preferring to be a girl. Still, there was no yelling or threats of being disowned. While things could have been better, she could work with this.

“Now, I realize this is a lot to take in, and you may need some time to process things,” Elizabeth said as they were moving on to dessert. “As such, I would like to invite Yukari-chan to stay with my family for the weekend, to give everyone some space. If that is all right with you, of course.”

Her parents glanced at each other, then at Yukari. “I suppose that would be all right,” her father then said. “Not that I still understand much of this, but apparently this is something Genichirou feels strongly about.”

“Oh, Yukari-chan indeed does.” The correction was both light and subtle, but there was no doubt that it was intentional. “As for understanding the matter, I actually have some materials here.” Once again she reached for her purse, taking out a few pamphlets that she handed over the table. “I took the liberty of reaching out to a gender clinic with an excellent reputation. They assured me that the information here stems from the latest scientific understanding. If you would like, I would be happy to arrange for an appointment where you can discuss the matter with a gender specialist to address any remaining questions you might have.”

Sanada glanced at Atobe, but he looked as surprised as she was. Well. Clearly Atobe was not the only one capable of some benevolent scheming.

“Right.” Her father frowned but took the offered pamphlets into his hands, which she supposed was better than the alternative.

“And of course,” now Elizabeth glanced at Yukari, “it would be good for Yukari-chan to speak with them as well, to work out the details of her identity as well as decide if she wishes to take further steps to transition.”

Yukari paused. She had never even considered such things. This whole time, the possibility of wearing a dress outside the Atobe estate felt like the absolute extent of what she could do, when it hadn’t seemed impossible altogether. Now that the thought was in her mind, though, and she couldn’t help but yearn for it. “I — I would like that.” She glanced up at her parents. “If that is all right.”

“I think that is something we will have to discuss at another point.” Which was better than an immediate denial. “For now, we’ve had a lot to process. I believe Atobe-san is right in that we all need a bit of space to think about everything.”

“Right. That's — that’s reasonable.” She nodded. “I haven’t changed, you know. I’m still the same person. I’ve just started to realize who that person is.”

Her mother nodded. “Well. I suppose it’s only natural for teens to find their own path.”

When Yukari stood up to go, Atobe right beside her, her mother seemed to hesitate. “Ah. Dear?” As Yukari gave her a questioning look, she smiled. “Your hair is very pretty like this.”

Well. Perhaps things would turn out all right in the end, somehow.

She was still going to spend the evening curled up to Atobe and petting Beat, though.

*

The second conversation was both easier and harder.

Perhaps it was taking on too much, rushing things like this, but at the same time she wanted things over with. She had no doubt that Seiichi and Renji would be on her side in the end, but that didn’t mean breaking the news was going to be easy. Telling them now, while her family was still processing the news, meant she would have more support as needed.

She was not in a dress this time, had not felt quite comfortable yet wearing one to a busy cafe. Her clothes were still rather more feminine than what she usually wore, a colorful top and simple slacks, and she had no doubt her closest friends would notice immediately.

If Atobe hadn’t been right next to her, she might have bolted. His presence kept her seated, though. She tried to distract herself by poking at the frankly ridiculous ice cream portion Atobe had brought her. No doubt he would end up eating most of it in the end, which might have been his intent all along, but for now it gave her something to focus on.

The choice was taken from her as the door opened, two familiar people walking in. Sanada froze, but Atobe had no such problem, waving at Renji and Seiichi.

Sanada could see the two speaking for a moment, then parting as Renji moved to get their orders while Seiichi headed over to them. As Seiichi got over to their table, he smirked at Atobe. “Ah. Time for introductions at last?”

“Yes, though perhaps not the kind you were expecting.” Atobe paused for a beat. “Well, not only that, at least.”

“Why, how intriguing.” Seiichi now glanced at Sanada. “Is everything all right?”

She hesitated, then decided on honesty. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

“Right.” Seiichi frowned, but didn’t push her just yet. “Well, if you of all people want to talk, we’re more than happy to listen.”

Atobe came to her rescue again, exchanging light quips with Seiichi until Renji arrived with two cups of tea. He barely gave Yukari another glance before he had taken a seat next to Seiichi on the other side of the table, at which point he lifted his eyebrow just a bit. “Well. I see this is going to be interesting.”

“You don’t know the half of it.” Yukari sighed. “Ah. So, let’s get this over with. Atobe is my boyfriend.” She glanced at her, gathering herself. “And I am Atobe’s girlfriend.”

Even Renji’s eyes widened a bit, which gave her some sort of selfish satisfaction. Perhaps Renji wasn’t as all-knowing as he liked to let others believe, or at least he was surprised that she had chosen to reveal the truth.

Seiichi made a small sound. “And… I’m assuming this doesn’t just apply when you are around Atobe?”

“Please.” Sanada allowed her lips to twitch a little. “I know better than to change myself for the sake of a guy.”

“I suppose you would.” Seiichi smiled. “So. What prompted you to finally let us in on this particular secret?”

“I’m rather curious as well.” Renji nodded. “Clearly this is something that has been developing over some time.”

No denial, no doubt, no questions about whether she was certain or had thought things through. All they wanted to know was why she had finally chosen to tell them.

She wasn’t sure how she had managed to find such great friends.

Somehow Sanada managed not to tear up. “I, ah, finally told my family. I couldn’t stand pretending anymore.” She poked at her ice cream for a moment. “I’m not sure how that is going to turn out in the end, but I want things to change. I want to live as myself as much as I can, not just when I can steal the time to visit Atobe.”

“And you wanted to be the one to tell us.” Seiichi gave her a faint smile. “Or simply want to make sure you have people on your side, perhaps?”

“Both.” She drew a deep breath. “You two are my oldest friends. I hope that will continue to be the case.”

“Of course, Genichirou.” Renji paused. “Ah. Do you have something else you would prefer to go by?”

“Yukari. If you wouldn’t mind.”

“Yukari? What a lovely name.” Seiichi smiled. “Very well. It might take us a moment to get used to that, but please don’t hesitate to correct us if needed.”

“I do hope you aren’t going to leave the tennis club, though,” Renji added. “We will do everything we can to make you feel comfortable in the club, of course.”

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of that.” She sighed. “Not like I would be allowed to play in the girls’ team, and I’m not about to give up on tennis.”

“Ah, on that note.” Atobe spoke up now, a small smile on his lips. More schemes, no doubt. “There is something I thought you would like to see.” He took out his phone, tapping at it a few times. He then set the phone on the table where they could all see it.

“Is this… a Rikkai tennis uniform?” Seiichi blinked. “Except with a skirt.”

“It’s not the girls’ club uniform, though. The design is different.” Renji looked at Atobe. “Explain.”

“Well, you said you would want Yukari-chan to be comfortable in the tennis club. I thought this would help.” He grinned at Sanada’s sideways glance. “Hey, I already had your tennis outfit at hand. It was rather simple to get one in the appropriate design.”

“At this point, I’m not even surprised.” She sighed. “What else do you have hidden up your sleeve?”

“Now, really, sweetheart. Why do you think I’m hiding any more surprises?” As she simply kept looking at him, he rolled his eyes. “Oh, fine. I may have gotten my hands on a few sets of Rikkai school uniforms. I’ve finished the adjustments on one set, but I thought you’d like to try it on before I touch the rest.”

For a moment, she stared at Atobe. Then, she shook her head. “You really are impossible.”

“Oh, I’m very much possible." Atobe grinned, then leaned closer to steal a quick kiss.

Yukari froze for a second, not sure how to react. Or, more to the point, not sure how her friends would react. Hearing on a basic level that she considered Atobe her boyfriend was rather different from actually seeing proof of such. However, her worries were banished as she heard a small chuckle.

“Well! It seems like we don’t need to worry about Atobe treating you right.” Seiichi tilted his head to the side. “That’s good. I do hope this doesn’t affect either of your tennis, though.”

“Oh, please.” Atobe snorted. “You think I’m going to play anything but my best when I have the chance to show off to my cute girlfriend?”

Introducing the three might have been for the best in the end, but for now, Sanada was rather worried it would keep her blushing for the next eternity.

*

“So, what exactly is going on?” Marui popped a gum bubble, leaning against the wall with an unimpressed look. “And don’t try to say it’s nothing. You’ve all been acting really weird.”

“Perceptive.” Seiichi chuckled, though Sanada could see he was prepared to turn serious at a moment’s notice. “There is something we would like you all to know about in advance, so you’re not going to be too shocked.” He glanced at Sanada, now, and nodded.

“Right.” She drew a deep breath, stepping forward. At least she knew Renji and Seiichi had her back. “So. Starting next week, I will be attending school as a girl.”

For a moment there was nothing but silence. At last Jackal spoke up. “Wait, what?”

“I do believe you heard her.” Seiichi smiled, just a bit of an edge in his eyes. “Now, she will stay in the club, and will continue to act as the vice-captain. All that is going to change is that she is referred to as a girl.”

“My parents have already cleared it with the school.” After several lengthy conversations they had been convinced to let her transition socially. They were still somewhat hesitant about any more concrete steps, but she was going to take what she could get. “From Monday on, I am Sanada Yukari. Aside from remembering that, I don’t need you to treat me any differently.”

“I do hope nobody has any sort of problem with this.” Renji crossed his arms over his chest. “Now, I know we all think of Yukari-chan as rather unflappable, but this is a very difficult situation regardless. We’re all counting on you to have her back if anyone else around the school is less than understanding.”

Much to her relief, all she could see were serious looks and nods. No doubt or disgust, nothing beyond surprise and some curiosity. Perhaps she could actually do this, if she had their support.

Niou lifted his hand in an almost lazy manner. “Question. Or clarification, really.” As Sanada nodded, fighting her nerves, Niou grinned. “So there might have been a bet going, about whether you had a new girl or a guy in your life. You know, since you’ve been way less tense lately. Would this count as there being a girl?”

For a second, Sanada merely stared at Niou, who didn’t waver, looking at him expectantly. At last, she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Are you asking me to judge who won your bet about my hypothetical love life?”

“Hey, who better?” Niou grinned. “I mean, it’s not exactly the same as dating, but clearly there’s a girl involved that we didn’t know about.”

“Well, in that case, I can settle it for you.” Sanada crossed her arms over her chest. She’d be damned if she let Niou think he had the upper hand. “If the questions is whether there was a girl or a guy… the answer is yes.”

“That’s not an answer though.” Marui frowned, and clearly Sanada had found the other half of the bet.

“Yes, it is.” She lifted her eyebrows. “Yes, there is a girl in my life, namely me. However, there is also a guy in my life.”

“Really?” Yagyuu adjusted his glasses. “Do elaborate.”

“Not that I am under any obligation to do so, but frankly, I’m done keeping secrets.” Sanada couldn’t help but smile. “I have been dating Atobe for some time now. And yes, he is aware that I am in fact his girlfriend.”

She hadn’t exactly expected this to cause more of an uproar than the news about her transition, but somehow, it seemed only appropriate.

*

Much though she hated to admit it, Sanada was terrified.

On paper, things were going to be okay. The school administration and teachers had all been informed of the change, and they had agreed to accommodate her. Her homeroom teacher had met with her before school and seemed to be willing to help her even if he didn’t quite understand everything. Of course, she already knew the tennis team had her back as well. Given all this, she shouldn’t have worried.

Knowing all this did not calm her down, though, as she stood at the front of the class, pinned down by every pair of eyes in the room.

“From today on, Sanada-kun will be attending school as Sanada Yukari. I hope you all do your best to help her feel comfortable in our class.” The teacher glanced at her. “Sanada-chan? Would you like to say anything?”

Sanada smoothed her skirt, trying to focus on her uniform. Atobe had done an excellent job in adjusting it for her, making it fit her less than feminine shape while still being obviously the same uniform. “Ah. I just wanted to make it clear that I am still the same person I have always been. I am just finally able to truly show who I am.” She gave her best polite bow. “Please be patient with me as I learn to live as a girl.”

She did her best not to focus on the various expressions of her classmates, not quite ready to see what they thought. Instead she focused on the friendly face of Marui, waving at her with a grin.

“Come on, Yukari-chan! You can sit next to me.” Which was a very clearly a prepared scheme, as she had been sitting several desks down from Marui the week before. She wasn’t sure how Marui had convinced the former occupant of the desk to take Sanada’s old seat, but right now, she was grateful.

Sanada did her best to focus on the classes, ignoring any whispers and gazes around her. A couple of times she thought she spotted Marui glaring at someone, but right now, she was grateful not to have to deal with it directly. Her avoidance tactics failed when lunch came up, though, as a couple of boys in the class approached her desk.

“So, Sanada-chaaan.” Ishizaka-kun smirked, leaning over her desk. He stretched out the honorific with obvious mockery. “You think you’re a girl, huh?”

“Very observant." Sanada kept her eyes on her lunch, not wanting to encourage the idiot with a visible reaction.

“Don’t you have anything better to do?” Marui sounded obviously annoyed. “Yukari-chan is clearly not interested.”

“And why not? Clearly he’s begging for attention.”

Sanada grit her teeth, then drew a deep breath. “I assure you, nobody is looking for attention from the likes of you.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Ishizaka leaned his hands on her desk, and she could practically feel his glare. “You think just because you put on a skirt, you’re suddenly too good to even talk to actual men?”

“How would that be relevant to how I react to you?” She heard a couple of suppressed giggles from around her, and as she glanced up Ishizaka’s expression was caught between anger and embarrassment. Clearly she had put the idiot on the back foot.

“Very funny.” Ishizaka scowled at her. “Look, I don’t know what sort of game you’re playing, but I’m not going to stand for it.”

“Good thing I am not dependent on your approval.” Sanada paused, then channeled every bit of snark she had absorbed from Atobe over their relationship. “Look, if this is your terrible attempt at flirting, you might as well stop, since I already have a boyfriend. Though if this is the way you talk to girls, it’s no wonder you don’t have much success.”

Ishizaka bristled as the people around them snickered again, even his goons starting to look uneasy. “Why, I ought to —”

“That’s enough.” She had half expected Marui to step in, but instead, she saw one of the girls in the class doing so. Komura-chan, the class representative. “Ishizaka-kun, Sanada-chan has made it clear she’s not interested in talking to you, and you need to stop bothering her.”

At this point the idiot seemed to realize he was fighting a losing battle, backing away while grumbling under his breath. Komura glared after him, hands on her hips, only to turn to look at Sanada once Ishizaka had retreated back to his desk.

“Are you all right, Yukari-chan? Ah, it’s okay for me to call you that, right?”

“Ah, yes. And — I’m fine.” She managed a faint smile. “Honestly, I was expecting to face worse.”

“Well, you shouldn’t.” She clicked her tongue. “If he bothers you again, let me know. I won’t stand for that sort of conduct in our class.”

“I’ll be sure to do that.” Sanada nodded. “…Ah. Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it. Us girls have to stick together, after all.” She flashed her a smile. “By the way, I love your barrettes. They are really cute.”

After that the rest of the class seemed to follow Komura’s example. They were still somewhat wary, and she could tell they were full of questions, but there was less whispering and staring, now.

She knew better than to expect everything to be easy from then on, of course. However, as long as she wasn’t alone, she could do this. She knew she had the team to act as buffer if needed, but she was glad to see there were others who would also allow her to be herself.

It was still scary, but she was brave enough.

*

“You look absolutely beautiful.”

“That would be more of a compliment if most of my appearance wasn’t directly your doing.” Yukari smiled, though, giving Atobe a whirl. “Just so you know, I’m counting on you to take care of most of the socializing.”

“With pleasure. Though it might be difficult, as I expect people to be rather curious to meet such a beautiful young woman.” He caught her by the hand, drawing her into a kiss. “Which is why I decided to have this party, anyway. Best get most of the fascination out of the way before they come against you in next year’s tournaments.”

“I don’t see why it’s so important. If they get distracted by my appearance, that’s their problem.” She chuckled. “Though hopefully by then, I’ll have more to fill my tennis clothes with.” She was doing her best to be patient, but it was difficult when she had finally gotten the permission from her parents to start hormones. It was going to be slow, sure, but surely something visible would have happened by the peak of the next tennis season.

“No matter what, I know you’re going to be the most beautiful girl in the boys’ tennis circuit.” Atobe smirked as she scowled at her. “Now, really, darling. Is that very ladylike?”

“You keep telling me that I’m lady. By definition, anything I do is ladylike.”

“Ah, excellent! You are learning, sweetheart.” Atobe chuckled. “Now, while I could spend all day admiring you, the guests are going to arrive soon. Are you ready for everyone to see that I have the most wonderful girlfriend ever?”

“Now how did this get to be about you?” Yet, she couldn’t help but return Atobe’s smile. “But yes, I’m ready.” She still thought it was rather extravagant of Atobe to throw a party for basically every significant tennis team they had any contact with, but then, extravagant was very much what Atobe did and what he was. Her ridiculous, over-the-top, extravagant boyfriend who made her feel beautiful. Who helped her see that she was already beautiful, even though there were still many things about her that she wanted and needed to change. Tonight, though, she was going to focus on who she was right now.

She was Sanada Yukari, and she was wearing a dress.

***

By the time she made her way back from her morning run, the smell of coffee told Yukari that Keigo had managed to make his way out of bed. She smiled as she heard music from Keigo’s studio as she walked past on her way to the shower. Clearly he’d gotten to work right away.

After a quick shower and fresh clothes, Yukari grabbed a cup of coffee from the kitchen before heading to the studio. She paused after opening the door, just watching Keigo for a moment. He was clearly deep in the creative process, sketches scattered across his desk.

Yukari waited until the music came to a slightly more subdued part, then spoke up. “Please tell me you’ve had more breakfast than just coffee.”

Keigo looked up, then smiled brilliantly. “Ah, darling! Don’t worry, I had a bagel, too. I promise I'll be fine until lunch.”

“Good. You need to take care of yourself. I don’t care how inspired you are, you don’t need to starve yourself for your art.” She stepped into the studio, glancing around. There were a few swathes of fabric pinned to various mannequins, but nothing concrete yet. “Are you working on a new line already? I thought you were focusing on the supply line before looking into new designs.”

“Oh, I am. This is more of a personal project.” Keigo flashed him a grin. “Actually, it’s something I would rather like to see on you.”

“Isn’t that everything you draw?” Yukari’s lips twitched. “Do I get to see yet?”

“Hm… I suppose you could get a look. If I get a kiss first.”

“This is clear extortion, Atobe-san. I cannot believe your cruelty.” Nevertheless, she smiled as she walked closer and leaned down to press a kiss to Keigo’s lips. “You’re lucky I’m reasonably fond of you.”

“From you, that is high praise.” Keigo chuckled, then turned back to his desk to pick up one of the sketches. He handed it over to Yukari, then leaned back in his seat to wait for her feedback.

Yukari took the sketch, giving it a quick glance to start off. She’d gotten familiar with Keigo’s design process over the years, so she could tell immediately this was already well along the way from a mere idea to a finished item. Rather than the familiar rough sketches that marked the beginning of the process, trying out various iterations to get his thoughts down on paper, Keigo had dedicated the entire page to a single sketch. There was a touch of color at points as well, but not too much. It wouldn’t have been too appropriate, either, as Yukari was fairly sure she knew what this was supposed to be.

Keigo was drawing a wedding dress. It wasn’t the most traditional gown, but there was no way it was supposed to be anything else. A white skirt that added more curve to the hips, a bodice cut to enhance the waist, sleeves cut to make broad shoulders look less so. It was beautiful, and would no doubt be stunning on Yukari.

She looked up to find Keigo watching her with something like apprehension. As though he was waiting for her to say something.

“Keigo?” She swallowed. “This… what is this?”

“I told you.” Keigo’s voice was soft, perhaps even careful. “I would rather like to see you in that.”

Yukari looked down at the sketch. It was gorgeous, the result of years of experience in finding ways to bring out the best in her body. However, the sentiment behind it was even more wonderful.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, unable to help a small smirk. “I’m not sure I’m innocent enough to wear white.”

“Please. My bride will wear whatever she wishes.” Keigo’s careful expression melted into a grin. “Though if that’s your way of saying you’d rather wear yellow, I’m sure we can work with that.”

She had mostly been teasing, but now that Keigo had brought it up, Yukari found she rather liked that idea. “White at the top, blending into sunny yellow towards the hem?”

“Oh, that will be fabulous. And some yellow flowers in your hair.” Keigo chuckled, standing up from his seat to draw her for another kiss. “So. Is that a yes?”

“Was that a proposal? If so, then yes, it is.” Yukari smiled. “You’ve put me in countless dresses before. I figure one more couldn’t hurt.”

She knew she was going to be beautiful.


End file.
